By Gilbert Akampa Kakurugu
NATIONAL
Eight ambassadors to Uganda from Countries under the European Union and one head of mission are in Kisoro district on a two-day impact assessment of refugees on the district as well as security, agriculture, and tourism in the district.
The ambassadors in the district are Rudi Veestraeten from Belgium, Signe Skovbakke Winding from Denmark, Xavier Sticker from France, Karin Boven from the Netherlands, Massimiliano Mazzanti from Italy, Maria Hakansson from Sweden, Matthias Schauer from Germany and Dr. Roswitha Kremser from Austria and head of mission.
Among the delegation are also nine European Union executive members who include Ms Guillaume Chartrain, Ms Caroline Adriaensen, Bruno Rotival, Stephen Ayo, Emmanuel Gyezaho and Catherine Agaba.
The group spent their first day at Nyakabande Transit centre assessing camp facilities and services offered to refugees like accommodation, health services, food among others.
His Excellency Jan Sadek, the head of the European Union Mission in Uganda says that the European Union is currently reviewing a 40 million Euros funding to Uganda to manage refugees. He commended Uganda for doing an impressive work and generosity in hosting refugees saying that it has the best refugee policy in the world.
Mathew Crentsil, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Uganda said that the recent refugee influx made the Office of the prime minister as well as aid funding partners struggle to provide refugees with all necessary services and needs, especially food and accommodation.
He and the Western regional refugees’ desk officer, Polyn Abina, asked for more funding to enable the expansion of the refugee transit center at Nyakabande to deal with the accommodation crisis once an influx is registered again since the situation in eastern DR Congo is still fragile.
The delegation will lastly assess the tourism, Security, Agriculture status tomorrow before returning to Kampala.
