At least 6,766 refugees at Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Isingiro District have received food and non-food assistance through a locally led emergency response by the Church of Uganda, following renewed fighting in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Dr Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, said the intervention was launched at the beginning of 2025 in response to a sharp increase in refugees and asylum seekers arriving in Uganda with urgent humanitarian needs.
Speaking to press today, Tuesday, 27th January, 2026, Archbishop Kaziimba noted that Christians, mobilized through their dioceses, raised resources worth UGX 100 million, both in cash and in kind, to support families who were struggling to access basic necessities upon arrival.
“With this support, we were able to reach 6,766 refugees with food and non-food items, providing much-needed relief to displaced households,” Archbishop Kaziimba stated.
He added that the relief effort was strengthened by support from the Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF), which helped expand the reach of assistance to some of the most vulnerable refugees in the settlement.
The Archbishop also acknowledged the Directorate of Household and Community Transformation (HCT) for lobbying for the support and coordinating his visit to Nakivale Refugee Settlement during the culmination of the emergency response.
Additionally, he reaffirmed the Church of Uganda’s commitment to responding to humanitarian crises affecting displaced populations.
Archbishop Kaziimba emphasized that faith institutions play a vital role in complementing national and international relief efforts and called for continued solidarity and support for refugees, noting that sustained collaboration will be crucial as regional instability continues to drive displacement into Uganda.
“Our response at Nakivale shows what can be achieved when faith-based institutions, government agencies, and humanitarian partners collaborate. We remain committed to standing with refugees and will continue mobilizing resources to meet their urgent needs as long as regional conflicts displace families into Uganda,” the Archbishop said.
He concluded by thanking Christians, partners, and well-wishers, saying the scale of the response demonstrates the Church of Uganda’s commitment to turning compassion into concrete action for refugees affected by regional conflict.
