The Government of Japan has committed more than 6 million US dollars in new funding to strengthen Uganda’s refugee response and humanitarian programs in 2026, with support directed toward food security, nutrition, livelihoods, and host communities through United Nations agencies.

Uganda, which hosts one of the largest refugee populations in Africa, hosts over 1.9 million refugees and asylum seekers as of March 2026, primarily from South Sudan and the DRC.

With these facts, the country is set to receive a major humanitarian boost following a fresh funding commitment from the government of Japan aimed at strengthening refugee support and community resilience programs.

The funding, estimated at more than six million US dollars, will be channelled through various United Nations agencies to support refugee welfare, food security, nutrition, infrastructure development, and humanitarian-development-peace initiatives.

Japan’s Ambassador to Uganda, Sasayama Takuya, said the support will focus on improving livelihoods, strengthening food systems, and combating malnutrition among vulnerable refugee and host communities.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Commissioner for Refugees in the Office of the Prime Minister, Douglas Asiimwe, revealed that Uganda was hosting close to two million refugees as of March this year, making sustained international support critical.

He called for greater global solidarity and burden-sharing to enable Uganda to continue protecting refugees while supporting communities hosting them.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Uganda, Leonard Zulu, described Japan’s contribution as both life-saving and transformative.

Zulu noted that the funding will help strengthen food security systems, protect vulnerable families, and improve humanitarian response efforts, especially for women and children.

Officials from United Nations agencies also welcomed the continued partnership between Japan and humanitarian agencies operating in Uganda under the National Development Plan framework.

They noted that Japan has already invested more than 40 million US dollars in Uganda’s health, refugee support, and mental health sectors over recent years.

The agencies described the latest contribution as a strong demonstration of Japan’s continued solidarity with refugees and host communities.

Leaders from both the government of Uganda and United Nations agencies have welcomed Japan’s support, describing it as a vital contribution toward sustaining refugee protection, strengthening livelihoods, and promoting stability in refugee-hosting communities.

They expressed optimism that the 2026 funding will further reinforce Uganda’s humanitarian response capacity while advancing long-term development and resilience among vulnerable populations.