Uganda

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reports that, by the end of 2025, Uganda could be hosting 2 million refugees. This is happening as escalating crises in Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been driving an average of 600 people to cross the border daily in search of safety and life-saving aid.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today warned that millions of children in Sudan are at risk of rape and other forms of sexual violence, which is being used as a tactic of war. According to UNICEF, armed men are raping and sexually assaulting children, including infants as young as one, amid the nationwide conflict.

In Colombia, the Emergency Relief Coordinator released $3.8 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help more than 42,000 people in the north-east of the country. The new funding will support displaced people and host communities in the region of Catatumbo.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Leonard Zulu of Zimbabwe as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Uganda, with the host Government’s approval, on 1 November.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that Uganda’s open-door policy for refugees is being strained by arrivals from Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) caution that the threat from explosive ordnance has increased significantly in the country since 2020. The Mission says that they recorded more than 190 incidents since 2020, including 78 last year alone.

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, arrived in Kampala, Uganda, from Switzerland on Friday night, 19 January.

In Nigeria, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is amplifying its efforts to counter a growing outbreak of diphtheria that has affected children in 27 states. As of last month, 3,850 suspected cases were reported with 1,387 confirmed as diphtheria.

The Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process today said that he was deeply concerned by the Government of Israel’s decision on 18 June to alter settlement planning procedures that have been in place since 1996, which is expected to expedite settlement expansion.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres: