Uganda has a long history of hosting refugees from neighbouring countries. The nation was hosting 1.4 million refugees in 2017, the majority fleeing the conflict in South Sudan. But the humanitarian system in the country is struggling to keep pace with the demand for support. Our assignment for WFP involved research to improve the evidence on refugee vulnerability and re-think the mechanism for selecting who receives food assistance.
Our research entailed conducting an in-depth literature review, qualitative field research and a representative survey of 5,000 households in refugee settlements across the country in 2017. We analysed the socio-demographic characteristics of the refugee population, the challenges they face at different stages of their lives, and their food security, livelihoods and income sources.
The resulting analysis and recommendations supported WFP, UNHCR, OPM, and other partners in their decision-making on strengthening the delivery of food assistance.