The plight of refugees in East African settlements has grown increasingly dire in 2023. Shortcomings in the funding of crucial aid programs have plunged millions of displaced individuals into even deeper hardship. Refugees who had fled violence and famine now find themselves grappling with dwindling food rations and financial support in the very sanctuaries meant to shield them.
In Uganda, Africa’s largest refugee-hosting nation, the budget allocated for UNHCR programs is a mere 39% of what is required. Meanwhile, Burundi has witnessed a staggering 35% surge in its refugee population since 2018, coupled with a paltry 12% increase in its budget during the same period. The root causes of these shortages are manifold, ranging from the enduring aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic to the repercussions of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which have disrupted food production and led to soaring prices. Despite these significant challenges, refugees have been provided with scant explanations for these cuts, as one refugee disclosed, “They just tell us that the order came from Geneva,” referring to UNHCR’s headquarters.
During our three-month sojourn in Africa last summer, we immersed ourselves in the lives of over 200 refugees across seven camps in Burundi, Uganda, and Kenya. Although our primary focus was to explore the role of faith and religious communities among refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, our interviews shed light on various facets of the refugee experience. All names referenced in this article have been altered to safeguard the anonymity of the interviewees.
The atrocities of food ration reductions weighed heavily on the minds of nearly all the refugees we encountered. In Burundi, for example, refugees recounted how their monthly cornflour rations, a vital dietary staple, had plummeted from 10 kilograms to a meager three kilograms. Jean-Claude, a resident of the Bwagiriza refugee settlement, lamented the insufficiency of this allocation, expressing, “You worry because you have no idea how you will finish the month. Little by little, the quantity of food goes down at home.”
These poignant accounts underscore the relentless psychological strain borne by refugees in their ceaseless quest for adequate sustenance. Tragically, escalating inflation has eroded their ability to supplement their provisions, leaving parents grappling with the anguish of informing their starving children that there will be no food. A distraught young mother in the Rwamwanja refugee settlement narrated how she resorted to boiling an empty pot of water, feigning preparation, to give her children a glimmer of hope for a meal.
Desperation has driven some refugees to consume inedible food, leading to illness and even death. Mauwa, a mother in Burundi, recounted a distressing incident where neighbors fell gravely ill after consuming inedible roots in a bid to stave off hunger. Regrettably, budget cuts had also terminated medical transport assistance, resulting in the tragic death of a malnourished child who consumed contaminated corn porridge due to days of starvation.
The ramifications of these ration cuts extend beyond hunger pangs, permeating the very fabric of refugee communities and straining their amicable relations with local populations. Amani, a father of seven, bemoaned how food scarcity was compelling children to resort to theft. Furthermore, refugees divulged distressing accounts of sexual exploitation and vulnerability to violence, perpetuated by the scarcity of food. Young girls, including Vumilia’s daughter, were coerced into trading their bodies for sustenance, with some as young as 12 falling victim to abuse and pregnancy.
In response to these dire circumstances, the UNHCR has increasingly championed self-reliance programs, advocating that refugees develop skills such as gardening, weaving, and animal husbandry. However, the harsh reality of insufficient resources thwarts their efforts to achieve autonomy. Marceline in the Kavumu settlement poignantly questioned, “With what resources are you supposed to become self-reliant?”
The incessant struggle for survival faced by refugees serves as a compelling reminder that behind every budget cut lies a poignant human narrative. These narratives, borne from the depths of anguish and fortitude, deserve to be heard and heeded.
By Roger B. Alfani, Core Fellow of Religious Studies and International Affairs, Seton Hall University, and Nicole Eggers, Assistant Professor of History, University of Tennessee
