Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has called on the European Union to increase funding for Uganda’s refugee response, warning that declining humanitarian support is placing growing pressure on public services and communities hosting more than two million refugees and asylum-seekers.
Tayebwa made the appeal on Monday when he received Members of the European Parliament, Hon. Tineke Strik and Hon. Anna Strolenberg, together with their colleagues, at Parliament. The delegation is in Uganda to understand the country’s refugee policies and explore ways of strengthening cooperation between Uganda and the EU on refugee management.
Uganda’s 2026 refugee response plan requires about $850 million, but only 12% of the required funding has so far been provided by international partners, according to figures cited by Tayebwa.
He said the funding shortfall is increasingly affecting the government’s ability to provide services to refugees and the Ugandan communities that host them.
“All this is happening at a time when there is a decline in funding,” Tayebwa said.
He said the pressure is being felt within government institutions responsible for refugee management, particularly the Office of the Prime Minister, as well as in health and education services in refugee-hosting communities.
Tayebwa said there has been a reduction in the number of teachers and health workers previously supported through funding from international partners, while staffing levels in the Department of Refugees under the Office of the Prime Minister have also come under pressure.
“From our assessment, the current humanitarian funding model is no longer sufficient. Without alternative financing, pressure will overwhelm the government and host communities,” he said.
Despite the financial constraints, Tayebwa said Uganda would continue to receive people fleeing conflict, describing the country’s refugee policy as rooted in its humanitarian values.
“These people are helpless; they are vulnerable,” he said. “We struggle to provide for these refugees, but we are not struggling with the spirit of humanity to welcome them.”
Uganda currently hosts more than two million refugees and asylum-seekers, according to statistics from the Department of Refugees in the Office of the Prime Minister, making it Africa’s largest refugee-hosting country. Most of the refugees are women and children, with the largest numbers originating from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Tayebwa said the continued influx, combined with declining funding, requires stronger international support for both refugees and host communities.
He also urged the EU to address the conflicts driving displacement rather than focusing only on humanitarian assistance after people have crossed into Uganda.
“We should go to the root cause of the problem in the region that causes the refugee influx,” he said.
According to Tayebwa, resolving conflicts in countries neighbouring Uganda would help reduce the pressure created by continued refugee arrivals.
He warned that failure to provide refugees with adequate support and opportunities to rebuild their lives could expose some to exploitation, trafficking and recruitment by armed groups.
“If Uganda cannot help these people settle, they are the people who will join Al-Shabaab, these are the people who will be trafficked to Europe,” he said.
Tayebwa said the refugee crisis also presented an opportunity for Africa and Europe to strengthen their partnership at a time when multilateral cooperation is facing challenges.
“At the time when multilateralism is dying and the global political arena is unpredictable, this is the time for Africa and Europe to strengthen their relationship,” he said.
“The relationship between the EU and Africa is dependable. This is the right time for the EU to strengthen and cement its relationship with Africa.”
He thanked the EU for its contribution to Uganda’s refugee response, describing the bloc as a dependable partner.
“I want to appreciate the European Union. You have been a dependable partner,” Tayebwa said.
The EU has allocated €20.7 million in humanitarian assistance to Uganda in 2026, following €23.9 million in 2025. It says it has provided more than €194 million in humanitarian funding to Uganda since 2021.
EU humanitarian programmes in Uganda support areas including emergency cash assistance, food security, education, protection and disaster preparedness for refugees and host communities.
Speaking during the meeting, Strik acknowledged Uganda’s role in hosting refugees and said European countries could learn from Uganda’s approach to receiving people fleeing conflict.
“The EU and also the Netherlands can take Uganda as an example of hospitality,” Strik said.
She also acknowledged the funding challenge facing refugee-hosting countries and called for continued international support.
“I think we also need to address the issue of funding,” she said.
“International partners should not leave Uganda alone,” Strik added.
Tayebwa said international support should remain predictable and sustained, arguing that Uganda’s refugee-hosting responsibility has implications beyond its borders.
“Africa needs a predictable partner,” he said, adding that the war in Ukraine should not cause Europe to overlook humanitarian needs in Africa.
“The conflict in Ukraine has affected Europe a lot, but it should not make you forget Africa,” Tayebwa said.
