from HASSAN ONYANGO in Kampala, Uganda
Uganda Bureau
KAMPALA, (CAJ News) – THE World Food Programme (WFP) has set a target to move all refugees in Uganda to digital payments before the end of this year.
This follows the success of an initiative it embarked on, at the beginning of the year as it digitised cash-based transfers (CBT) in refugee settlements in the East African country, to improve cost efficiency and effectiveness.
WFP, an agency of the United Nations, disclosed that by the end of February, 71 percent of refugees received cash assistance using digital delivery.
Of these, 23 percent received support via mobile money, while 48 percent used agency banking.
Meanwhile, 29 percent still received cash in hand.
“WFP plans to transition all beneficiaries to digital payments by year-end,” WFP stated in a latest update made available to this agency on Tuesday.
In February, WFP disbursed US$483 621 as savings to 19 428 Nutri-Cash beneficiaries, empowering them to support their livelihoods and reinforcing the long-term sustainability of the programme’s benefits, it added.
Uganda has a longstanding history of hosting refugees, with more than 1,8 million, mainly from Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Sudan currently residing in the country.
Uganda is Africa’s largest refugee host but this week raised alarm that the rapid influx of Congolese and Sudanese refugees was straining Uganda’s threadbare resources
Uganda’s food insecurity levels remain classified as ‘serious’ by the 2019 Global Hunger Index.
– CAJ News