SOUTH SUDAN: South Sudan Crisis Escalates Uganda Refugee Disaster

THE ongoing civil strife in South Sudan is worsening Uganda's own challenges, with the Central African country struggling with poverty.

Owing to the crisis in South Sudan, Uganda now hosts over 500 000 refugees, making this the third largest refugee population to be hosted by any country in sub-Saharan Africa and the eighth largest in the world.

Canada, which has announced €600 000 in new humanitarian assistance for South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, bemoaned it was often the world's poorer countries that were at the frontline of the global humanitarian and migration crisis.

"Despite Uganda's own challenges in tackling poverty, it (Uganda) generously welcomes refugees who have fled conflict in their own countries, and implements a very progressive refugee policy," said Canada Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development, Joe McHugh.

The Minister was visiting Adjumani refugee settlement in Northern Uganda, together with Ugandan State Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Musa Ecweru.

The announcement comes in the wake of a renewal of hostilities in South Sudan, which has raised the prospect of an increase in the numbers of refugees seeking safety in Uganda.

McHugh has launched Ireland's new five year strategy for engagement in Uganda.

The strategy provides a framework for Irish Aid support for poverty reduction in Uganda, amounting to an envisaged €82,9 million over the period 2016-2020.