ADRA and World Food Program Collaborate in Uganda to Help Feed 85,000 Refugees
19 June 2018 | The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is partnering with the World Food Program and the Ugandan government to help feed 85,000 refugees in the country. The partnership was agreed upon this month.
According to an ADRA press release, the refugees that will receive the aid are based in the district of Kamwenge, western Uganda, many fleeing conflicts in Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
“As a strong supporter of partnerships, this collaborative effort between ADRA and WFP is good news for the refugees in Uganda faced with the shortage of food, and is a strong testament that ADRA Uganda’s intervention efforts are being recognized,” said vice president of programs for ADRA International,
Imad Madanat.
ADRA has worked in Uganda since 1987, working in 15 districts of the country. ADRA has worked with the WFP in food distribution in 1998, 2000, 2010, 2011, and this year.
Additionally, ADRA has promoted school gardening initiatives in several refugee settlements to help improve school feeding initiatives in many refugee hosting schools.
“ADRA is committed to supporting the Government’s work to achieve sustainable development goals. This newly signed partnership with WFP will enable ADRA to address the causes of food insecurity and malnutrition and also help improve the social-protection system of refugees and host communities,” said ADRA Uganda country director, Charles Ed II Aguilar. “One of the strategic outcomes that WFP has focused on is to see smallholder farmers, especially women, in targeted areas have enhanced and resilient livelihoods by 2030. ADRA is committed to meeting this strategic outcome,” he explained.
ADRA Uganda will help provide nutritious meals daily for a year for the selected refugee population. It will also provide cash support to help refugees generate income.
“ADRA Uganda has committed to a long-term presence in Kamwenge,” said Aguilar, “and plans to implement a range of livelihoods development interventions such as capacity building of refugees to operate kitchen/backyard gardens to grow crops and sustain food to support their families and also support in protecting the environment by planting 10,000 fruit trees.”
