By Brendah Akankwatsa,
KAMPALA:
The first batch of Afghan nationals seeking refugee assylum has arrived in Uganda this morning, foreign affairs ministry has confirmed.
According to a statement from the minjstry, Uganda received 51 refugees from Afghanistan part of the expected 2,000 refugees to be temporarily hosted in Uganda.
“The government of Uganda this morning received 51 evacuees Afghanistan who arrived aboard a privately chartered fligt at the Entebbe International Airport,” read a statement from foreign affairs ministry.
The ministry further said that the 51 refugees who include women, children and men will be subjected to necessary security screening as well as a mandatory COVID19 trsting and required quarantine procedures.
They shall be housed in some hotels in Entebbe on expenses of the US government.
Ugandan nationals who were expected to travel on this flight were however unable to get evacuated due to failure to access Kabul Airport.
“Whereas it had been arranged for some ugandans to travel on the above flight, due yo challenges of accessing the Airport at Kabul, they were unable to make it,” foreign affairs ministry disclosed in a statement.
The ministry said it is making arrangements to bring ugandan nationals in subsequent flights.
Earlier alone, the givernment spokesperson Ofwono Odel Opondo had said that 345 Afghan nationals were expected to arrive in Uganda but only 51 have been confirmed landing at Entebbe Airport.
A source at the ministry has told Parrots UG that the US government has urged Ugandan government to thoroughly screen these refugees to avoid further security threats.
