Post by Petra Warnecke

𝗨𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮'𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗴𝗲𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹: 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 What happens when 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗴𝗲𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 is not an abstract concept but shapes the everyday life of an entire region? In 𝗨𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻, this is visible every day.   I was recently in Arua and saw firsthand how Uganda’s history of displacement has fostered a culture of openness and hospitality. This background underpins a pragmatic policy approach and broad social acceptance of long-term, inclusive solutions.   Uganda’s refugee policy system is essentially built on three mutually reinforcing factors: an inclusive legal and settlement approach, strong government responsibility for implementation, and social cohesion with broad public acceptance. Not without challenges, the model is increasingly under pressure due to high refugee numbers, limited financing, and overlapping crises.   Equally decisive are area-based and district-led planning, land allocation mechanisms, and economic integration. This includes, in particular, securing livelihoods and ensuring market access. Refugees gain access to functioning markets for labor, goods, and services.   This is where we at GIZ Uganda, among others, come in. Through our cooperation with Omia Agribusiness Development Group Ltd, we promote inclusive market opportunities and strengthen resilient agricultural value chains. The company improves access to inputs, advisory services, soil testing, and markets for smallholder farmers. As a key agribusiness partner, Omia Agribusiness makes an important contribution to the economic resilience of both host communities and people directly affected by displacement. Since its founding, Omia Agribusiness Group has supported more than 96,000 farmers, around 40% of whom are refugees.   Uganda is among the poorest yet most welcoming countries in the world - and it showed me vividly the central role the private sector can play in inclusive economic growth in regions hosting large numbers of refugees.   #GIZ #Uganda #SustainableDevelopment #PrivateSectorDevelopment #AgriBusiness #RefugeeResponse #WestNile