Uganda Faces Refugee Aid Freeze

Two European donors have frozen funding to the UN Refugee Agency in Uganda (UNHCR) following reports of fraud, corruption and mismanagement.

The move by Germany and the UK appears to be directly related to an audit report produced by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services in which UNHCR was found to have critically mismanaged donor funds in the country. Overpayment for goods and services and improper contracts awards were among the problems identified. The European Anti-Fraud Office has since confirmed that it is "investigating allegations of fraud and irregularities regarding specific projects funded by the European Union to support refugee settlements in Uganda."

As Uganda hosts more than 1.2 million refugees the suspension of funds could result in disruption to assistance. Germany provided over $15 million to the UNHCR in Uganda last year, with the UK providing around $26 million during 2016 and 2017.

Four Uganda officials have reportedly been removed from their positions following the report.