UNHCR / REFUGEES UGANDA COMMUNITIES

During his visit to Bidibidi - Africa’s largest refugee settlement - UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said, “Uganda has demonstrated exceptional generosity and hospitality including in these difficult times of COVID-19.” UNHCR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:35
• Production Date: 11 March 2021
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: FILIPPO GRANDI
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR
• Subject Topical: REFUGEE ASSISTANCE
• Geographic Subject: UGANDA
• MAMS Id: 2606964
• Parent Id: 2606964
• Alternate Title: unifeed210311c

Description

STORY: UNHCR / REFUGEES UGANDA COMMUNITIES
TRT: 01:35
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNHCR ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 09 MARCH 2021 BIDIBIDI SETTLEMENT, YUMBE DISTRICT, UGANDA

Shotlist

1. Close up, Agnes Batio, South Sudanese refugee and building supervisor at construction site
2. Wide shot, construction site
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Agnes Batio, South Sudanese Refugee:
“I know women have the power to do everything, that is why I am taking interest because there are not many women who are doing this.”
4. Various shots, Agnes working
5. Wide shot, other women working at construction site
6. Various shots, Agnes talking to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees:
“Uganda has demonstrated exceptional generosity and hospitality including in these difficult times of COVID-19 where of course movement of people is a very risky situation but still hospitality has continued but livelihoods have decreased because of lack of movement, because of less economic activity, so more help is needed also in that respect.”
8. Wide shot, construction site
9. Close up, Agnes

Storyline

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi visited Bidibidi - Africa’s largest refugee settlement to reaffirm his commitment to Uganda’s inclusive refugee response.

Grandi met with Agnes Batio, who supervises a team of construction workers from the refugee and host communities. She is a refugee from South Sudan. Agnes learnt construction in Bidibidi, and the skill has helped her support her three children.

SOUNDBITE (English) Agnes Batio, South Sudanese Refugee:
“I know women have the power to do everything, that is why I am taking interest because there are not many women who are doing this.”

Uganda’s Bidibidi settlement is home to over 235,000 refugees from South Sudan. It is Africa’s largest refugee settlement with humanitarian and development support for both refugees and the host community. The settlement is a working example of the Global Compact on Refugees.

Bidibidi hosts the largest solar powered water supply system across refugee hosting regions in Uganda, serving more than 18,000 refugees and Ugandans. Smart investment here has strengthened the response to displacement and eased the burden on host communities through shared resources.

At the Twajiji Primary School, Grandi surveyed new classrooms and teachers’ accommodation built with contributions from the German Development Bank (KfW). UNHCR helps with the daily running of the school, paying the teachers’ salaries.

Uganda hosts more than 1.45 million refugees, with the vast majority living in rural settlements. Since the launch of the CRRF in 2017, the government has included refugees in the national development plans and endorsed sector plans to improve delivery of social services in refugee-hosting districts, like education, health, water and environment, as well as jobs creation.

SOUNDBITE (English) Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees:
“Uganda has demonstrated exceptional generosity and hospitality including in these difficult times of COVID-19 where of course movement of people is a very risky situation but still hospitality has continued but livelihoods have decreased because of lack of movement, because of less economic activity, so more help is needed also in that respect.”

Driving through Bidibidi and Yumbe town, Grandi saw hundreds of electric poles and cables, evidence of a project already underway to connect the settlement to the national grid. Funded by Norway and implemented by Uganda’s Rural Electrification Agency, this initiative is part of a broader collaboration between the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, GIZ and the World Bank to extend the national grid to refugee-hosting areas. When the Bidibidi electric grid goes live, UNHCR is planning to support last mile connection for schools, health centres and markets.

Grandi also met with women who represent their communities at the national Refugee Engagement Forum – a platform established in 2018 to ensure the views and concerns of refugees inform strategic discussions and decision-making.