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DevNews Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
Ireland provides €4.5 million to support drought-hit communities and refugees in Uganda
The Government of Ireland has provided €4.5 million to the World Food Programme in Uganda to support schoolchildren, smallholder farmers, refugees and vulnerable households facing food and livelihood pressures.
Announced by WFP Uganda on 2 October, the contribution is expected to support more than 221,000 schoolchildren and 108,000 smallholder farmers in drought-affected Karamoja. A further 19,200 refugees and host-community members are expected to receive assistance aimed at strengthening self-reliance.
The funding will also support Uganda's social protection systems, including regular cash payments for 5,100 mothers, young children and older people in Karamoja.
The intervention links several dimensions of development: food security, education, livelihoods and social protection. School meals can help children remain in school while reducing pressure on vulnerable households. Support to smallholder farmers is intended to protect productive capacity and household incomes in communities affected by drought.
For refugee-hosting communities, the contribution is also designed to support a transition from humanitarian assistance towards greater self-reliance.
Karamoja remains one of Uganda's most vulnerable regions, with recurring climatic pressures affecting agricultural production and household food security.
The new funding therefore goes beyond immediate food assistance by supporting systems and livelihoods that can help households manage shocks.
The contribution comes as humanitarian financing becomes increasingly constrained globally, making targeted support for food security, social protection and resilience particularly significant.
Verified source: World Food Programme Uganda – 2 October 2026
DevNews Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
Kampala, Karamoja, Uganda - 2 October 2026
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