The West Nile region is a major refugee-hosting area in Uganda that borders the DRC and South Sudan. Many migrants and refugees are relocating from settlements to the surrounding urban areas, and they are often unregistered and undocumented.
This means that they are not included in the national census or factored into the different local government planning and budget processes. As a result, West Nile cities face severe pressure on key public services and infrastructures such as schools, hospitals, water, and sanitation.
This project will provide access to financial services to refugees, IDPs, and vulnerable host communities residing in West Nile cities.
Maternal and mental health centres in the Oli Subdivision of Arua will be refurbished and equipped. Health professionals, community workers, and schoolteachers will receive dedicated training, sensitising them to mental health counselling so that they can act as a first point of contact for both host communities and refugees while performing their daily work.
Key experts will be trained and integrated within existing infrastructures, including health centres and schools, to respond to the needs and demands of counselling for refugees and host communities. At least six dialogues will be organised to advance the role of secondary cities in managing migration and refugee situations.
The project is part of the Resilient Systems of Secondary Cities and Migration Dynamics Programme financed by the Swiss Agency for International Development and Cooperation (SDC).
