By URN
Prices of commodities such as sugar, laundry soap, cooking oil, fuel, and food have been on the rise in the local market since the beginning of the year. But for South Sudanese refugees, the situation has been worsened by the already decreased food and cash rations they receive from the World Food Program-WFP.
The United Nations agency cut the monthly food and cash ration by 30 per cent in 2020 for refugees living in Uganda over a shortfall in funding.
Alima Cinya, one of the South Sudan refugees at Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement says that the family had been living a comfortable life for the past eight years until a year ago when food and cash rations were cut and prices of commodities started rising.
The single mother of four says they now survive on one meal a day and use salt sometimes instead of sugar to make porridge.
Rhoda Akec, another refugee says most food prices within the Kiryandongo Refugee settlement have doubled or tripled recently leaving most vulnerable members unable to afford them. For instance, Akec cited a kilogram of Rice which doubled from 4,000 to 8,000 Shillings while charcoal rose from 30,000 to 80,000 Shillings.
Turyagenda Emmanuel, the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement Commandant acknowledges the plight of the refugees and notes that the reduced cash ration hasn’t affected all those living in the settlement.
He says cash and food ration are given out according to categories and phases citing that there are some refugees who are receiving 100 per cent food and cash ration while others are on 75 and 50 per cent.
