Regional Development and Protection Programme (RDPP): Support Programme to the Refugee Settlements and Host Communities in Northern Uganda (SPRS-NU)

The overall objective of the action is to reduce the risk of violent conflict between host communities and refugees in the refugee-hosting districts of Northern Uganda, namely Adjumani, Arua, Kiryandongo and Yumbe. This project addresses the developmental needs of South Sudanese refugees and host communities in Northern Uganda. This is done through support to improving their living conditions by enhancing food security, inter community dialogue and conflict prevention, and provision of basic services such as education, water and sanitation. The overarching theory of change assumes that if host communities and refugees benefit from shared livelihoods assets, improved service delivery and conflict management mechanisms, inter-communal relations and development outcomes will improve.

In response to the unprecedented recent influx of South Sudanese refugees to Uganda since July 2016, this project under the Regional Development and Protection Programme (RDPP) was scaled up in December 2016. with a €10 million top up to the already existing SPRS-NU programme of the same amount, allowing the implementing partners to expand geographically to neighbouring affected districts and to better tailor their interventions due to the changing conditions in the affected districts.

In order to address critical needs of refugees and host communities in Uganda, a €3 million top-up to the action was also approved in July 2021 to expand some of the skills development activities to enhance livelihood and labour market-relevant skills for youth, women and girls in refugee and host communities in Northern Uganda. This rider brings the total amount of the action to €23 million.

Main objectives

The specific objectives aim to improve livelihoods, food and nutrition security, to mitigate risks of further escalation of conflicts and to increase access to education:
1. Improve food security, nutrition and livelihoods of the refugee population and host communities in a sustainable manner, through increasing production locally and through intensification of exchanges between refugees and the neighbouring communities.
2. Improve inter-community dialogue at local level and put in place conflict prevention mechanisms to avoid clashes between the host and the refugee communities or within the communities themselves.
3. Improve the level of education and increase, through skills development, medium and long-term economic opportunities for refugees and host communities – especially for youth and women, in order to contribute to a better integration of refugees.