ARUA CITY GETS UGX 4.7 BILLION TO TACKLE URBAN REFUGEE CRISIS

Delegates from 9 cities and Municipalities across Africa attending the Second SUIDAC regional Dialogue at Hotel Le Confidentiel in Arua, Uganda.

By Dramadri Federick
Arua City

Arua city is set to receive 4.7 billion shillings from the European Union under the Cities Alliance to improve on the governance, citizenship, economic realities, environment and services due to the influx of the migrants, asylum seekers and self-settled refugees.
 
This announcement came into light during the Second Sustainable Urban Integration of Displacement Affected Communities SUIDAC program dialogue in Arua city.
 
As per the 2024 Census, Arua city with 440,540 population is hosting 23,917 refugees, migrants and asylum seekers who are not catered for by the humanitarian agencies as there settlement is not gazette anywhere in the Ugandan refugee policy.
 
In the 4 days Regional Dialogue at Arua city, Greg Munro, the Director, Cities Alliance revealed that, the uncounted population especially in the categories of urban refugees are drawing services from Cities and Municipalities leaving the nationals in the 9 cities and Municipalities including Arua city, and Koboko Municipality in Uganda, Kananga and Tshikapa of DRC, Assosa and Jigjiga of Ethiopia, Borama and Gabiley of Somalia and finally Atbara town in Sudan.
 
“These funds are provided to mitigate impacts of the surge of refugees in urban centers like cities and Municipalities and we hope that more of these refugees will be employed through provision of services and infrastructural developments. We also want to improve of governance systems to focus on integration,” Greg noted.
 
According to Denis Asiku, the Focal Person Sustainable Urban Integration of Displacement Affected Communities SUIDAC program in Arua city, the funds a focused on establishing 1 storey 8 classroom block in Arua primary school, a modern laboratory at Arua public Secondary School, a classroom block in Ociba and Onduparaka primary schools.

Additionally, the funds will also cater for construction of a general ward at Adumi Health Center IV, a market Shade in Dadamu Market and establishment of an Urban Demonstration Farm for training urban refugees and other willing citizens on bets farming practices.
 
Asiku pledged proper use of the funds, “With Arua city’s previous experience of effectively utilizing the funds in the right way, we intend to do better and ensure there are better outcomes in these programs,” he said.
 
Whereas, David Kyasanku, the Arua city Town Clerk noted that, the partner fundings have helped the city in addressing the pressing strain of service delivery due to influx of unaccounted population.
 
“Arua city is experiencing a refugee surge, self-settled and many of these are young people mainly from South Sudan who have added a lot of pressure on services delivered in schools and health centers including our markets, so this funding for infrastructure and capacity building is timely,” Kyansanku added.
 
Wadri Sam Nyakua the Mayor of Arua city said the city has integrated some of the refugees into its structures and different service areas including the City Development Forum.
 
“We allow them to be represented on local governance institutions. They are in the Health Unity Management Committees, in Primary School Management Committees, PTAs and Board of Governance for Secondary Schools and we have also put them in our City Development Forum. These are all decision making bodies.” Wadri Revealed.
 
Cities Alliance has availed 123,690,000,000 shillings an equivalent of 30 million euros to support the 9 African Urban centers that are hosting migrants, and asylum seekers.