Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis 2020 (Uganda)

Abstract

In order to make the progressive Uganda refugees policy successful in the medium- and long-term, the refugees’ response needs to facilitate their inclusion in the country’s development agenda. No longer focusing exclusively on short-term, life-saving interventions, the response should act as a vector for refugees’ integration in the economy; improving the management of land, water, and natural resources; exploiting the socio-economic opportunities associated with the refugees’ presence, skills, and development; and strengthening the hosting districts’ capacity to absorb and manage these resources. The positive impact would affect refugees, host communities, and hosting districts alike, thus moving towards social and economic integration. In August 2017, FAO was asked by the Commissioner for Refugees (Office of the Prime Minister of Uganda, OPM) to support the implementation of a socio-economic analysis within the refugees’ settlements and host communities, with the aim of providing a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the refugees’ food security, well-being and resilience. Although refugees in Uganda are given land and mobility rights, their food security remains low, with a high dependency on food aid. The assumption was that by better understanding refugees’ preferences and livelihoods strategies which determine their resilience, it would be possible to unlock the development potential of the land, increase productivity and help them achieve independence and self-reliance. The Uganda 2020 Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis (RIMA) measures the food security and resilience of refugees and host communities in Northern Uganda. The survey was administered between November and December, 2020.