Ireland Contributes Funding for WFP Social Protection and Self-Reliance Programs in Uganda

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced that Ireland has provided a funding contribution to support social protection and self-reliance initiatives in Uganda, targeting drought-affected communities in Karamoja and refugees nationwide.

According to the WFP, prolonged drought in 2026 has affected food and livestock production for more than 673,000 people in the Karamoja region. Between August 2026 and February 2027, an estimated 352,000 people—nearly one in four individuals in the area—are projected to experience crisis levels of hunger.

The Irish contribution will allow the WFP to provide daily meals across 284 schools in Karamoja. In addition to school feeding, the WFP will maintain its support for Uganda's Ministry of Education and Sports to help finalize the country's first national school feeding policy.

Funding will also be allocated to initiatives aimed at refugees and host communities. Uganda hosts more than two million refugees, the largest refugee population in Africa. The WFP reported that funding shortages in 2025 forced a reduction in the number of refugees receiving food assistance from 1.6 million to 663,000, though that number increased to 784,000 in 2026.

The new funding will support programs designed to transition families toward self-reliance by offering training in financial literacy, vocational skills, and business planning, while also strengthening local savings groups and supporting small business development.

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