By the numbers: How we're working with refugees in East Africa

refugees in east africa and world vision staff
Wednesday, June 20, 2018

An estimated 4.9 million refugees have fled their homelands and sought safety in other countries within East Africa. 

Many arrive with just the clothes on their backs and urgently need support. 

World Vision is working with refugees across 8 countries in East Africa and reaches more than a million refugees each month – 20 per cent of the total number of refugees in East Africa.

By the numbers, here’s what our teams are doing: 

Uganda

  • 1.3 million refugees in country
  • 600,000 refugees reached through World Vision activities every month
  • 400+ staff working on refugee related projects
  • Project locations: Adjumani, Arua, Moyo and Yumbe districts in the West Nile Region of Uganda. World Vision will be expanding its refugee programmes to the south of the country in July 2018.  
  • Projects include: distributing food and cash assistance, running child friendly spaces and early education centres, organizing peace clubs, building water systems and personal sanitation systems, coordinating refugee reception centres, distributing essential non-food items, helping refugees learn new business skills and set up small businesses, organizing community savings groups, providing livestock and seeds

Ethiopia

  • 916,000 refugees in country
  • About 20,000 refugees reached through World Vision activities every month
  • 20 staff working directly on refugee projects
  • Project locations: Gambella, Dolo Ado  
  • Projects include: running alternative education to keep youth and adults learning, supporting secondary school education, providing sanitation and hygiene services and helping refugees develop income through livelihood projects

Sudan

  • 916,000 refugees in country
  • About 30,000 refugees reached through World Vision activities every month
  • 13 staff working on refugee related projects, 14 medical staff from the Ministry of Health deployed through World Vision’s support, and other support staff
  • Project locations: East Darfur, Buram and Al-Radom
  • Project focus: providing health care support, ensuring children have access to nutrition assistance, supporting child education and providing clean water

Tanzania

  • 743,000 refugees in country
  • 187,831 refugees reached every month
  • 90 staff working on refugee related projects
  • Project locations: Nyarugusu refugee camp, Nduta refugee camp and Mtendeli refugee camp
  • Project focus: supporting livelihoods through food assistance and providing nutrition assistance

Kenya

  • 481,000 refugees and asylum seekers in country
  • 139,052 refugees and asylum seekers reached in the last month 
  • 61 staff working on refugee related projects 
  • Project locations: Kakuma refugee camp, Dadaab refugee camp and Moyale
  • Project focus: distributing food assistance, organizing peacebuilding activities, distributing essential non-food items, organizing child protection activities

South Sudan

  • 296,000 refugees in country
  • 3,792 refugees reached every month
  • 109 staff working on refugee related projects
  • Project location: Makpandu refugee camp
  • Project focus: World Vision is the lead agency implementing projects in Makpandu. We’re distributing food assistance, running medical centres, providing nutrition support, supporting schools, setting up water systems, helping refugees learn new business skills and set up small businesses and providing protection services

Rwanda

  • 172,000 refugees in country
  • 57,000 refugees assisted in last month
  • 22 staff working on refugee related projects
  • Project locations:  Mugombwa refugee camp and Kigeme refugee camp
  • Project focus: providing children education, supplying clean water and running hygiene and sanitation services

Burundi

  • 71,000 refugees in country
  • 4,013 refugees assisted in last month
  • 6 staff working on refugee related projects
  • Project locations: Kinama refugee camp, Musasa refugee camp
  • Project focus: distributing hygiene kits, setting up sanitation facilities, distributing essential non-food items

World Vision’s refugee focused projects have been valued at over more than $200 million US. 

“We’re working hand in hand with refugees and are on the forefront of operational innovations, leading peacebuilding activities, distributing cash assistance, energy and conducting cutting edge research with leading universities and academics. We’re committed to continuing and growing our work in this area in the year to come,” remarked Christopher Hoffman, World Vision’s Regional Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Director in East Africa.