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WORLD NEWS Saturday 24 June 2017

Food aid dwindling in world’s

fastest-growing refugee crisis

United Nations High Com-
By RODNEY MUHUMUZA missioner for Refugees
Associated Press Filippo Grandi, left, United
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Nations Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres, center,
Food aid soon will run out and Uganda’s President
for nearly a million South Yoweri Museveni, right, at-
Sudanese sheltering in tend the Uganda Solidarity
Uganda in what has be- Summit on Refugees in Kam-
come the world’s fastest- pala, Uganda Friday, June
growing refugee crisis, the 23, 2017. Associated Press
United Nations refugee
chief said Friday. ers to end the civil war in
“Disturbing shortfalls are which tens of thousands of
emerging in critical areas people have been killed
such as food, shelter and since late 2013. More than
education,” Filippo Grandi 1.8 million people have fled
told a global summit seek- into neighboring countries.
ing $8 billion for the crisis The U.N. chief also made
over the next four years. a plea for protection of
“Malnutrition rates among refugees around the world,
refugees are alarming. The saying some richer coun-
World Food Program told tries haven’t been as toler-
us yesterday that the food ant as some in Africa.
pipeline here in Uganda “I have seen the hearts of
will dry up soon.” Ugandan people open,
Friday’s summit brought but not all doors are open
pledges of $358 million, far in the world. Not all refu-
short of the goal. gees are accepted. Some
The East African nation are rejected, and some-
now hosts 950,000 people times the country is much
from South Sudan. Most richer than Uganda,” the
have arrived in the past U.N. chief said. Uganda
year. Officials say host has been praised for its
communities are near the generous policy toward
breaking point. refugees, including the al-
Already, food rations have location of plots of land for
been cut in half for some growing food.
refugees. But Grandi, the refugee
Uganda last year received chief, said that “regretta-
three times more refugees bly, the hospitality of host
from South Sudan than the countries is not adequately
number of migrants cross- matched by financial con-
ing the central Mediterra- tributions” from the interna-
nean, U.N. Secretary-Gen- tional community.
eral Antonio Guterres has The U.N. children’s fund in
said. Uganda this week said it
Guterres on Friday called requires nearly $50 million
the refugee influx “the big- this year as well as $30 mil-
gest exodus of refugees in lion each year from 2018 to
Africa since the Rwanda 2020 to provide critical ser-
genocide” of 1994. He has vices to both refugees and
urged South Sudan’s lead- host communities.q