Nakivale (Uganda) : updating data on vulnerable refugees

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is currently updating the data on the most vulnerable refugees in the Nakivale camp. This exercise, which concerns all refugee camps in Uganda, aims to optimize the planning and integration of people in precarious situations in future humanitarian projects, according to a UNHCR official.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The update targets in priority “Persons with Specific Needs (PSN)”, a term used in the humanitarian sector to designate refugees requiring special assistance. These include people with physical or mental disabilities, people over 60 years old, widows living alone as well as unaccompanied children. These groups normally benefit from additional support, including psychological support if necessary.

On the ground, UNHCR partners are conducting a door-to-door census in the camp’s villages to assess the evolution of needs and measure the increase or decrease in cases of vulnerability. In this process, zone and village chiefs, community leaders and religious leaders play a key role in identifying concerned people.

However, among the refugees, concern remains. Many hope that this data update will translate into a concrete improvement in the assistance provided to them, which is often delayed or reduced. With the rising cost of living in the camp, they also hope for an upward reassessment of the assistance provided.

The Nakivale camp hosts more than 140,000 refugees from various nationalities, including more than 33,000 Burundians.

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A group of vulnerable people after a clothing and shoe distribution session at the Nakivale camp, January 2025 (SOS Médias Burundi)