Number of refugees in Uganda 2024, by country of origin
As of May 2024, Uganda hosted roughly 1.7 million refugees. Of the total, around 55 percent came from neighboring South Sudan. The Democratic Republic of the Congo ranked as the second leading origin of refugees living in Uganda. Approximately 518,400 Congolese citizens have searched for asylum in the bordering country so far. Uganda houses the highest number of individuals forcibly displaced in Africa as well as some of the largest refugee populations worldwide.
Refugees hosted in Uganda
Adjumani and Yumbe, northern Uganda districts, housed roughly one-third of the total refugees that sought asylum in the country. With a host population of approximately 736,400 people, the Yumbe district accounted for 15 percent of all refugees in Uganda. Adjumani’s population consisted of nearly half residents and half refugees.
Refugee flows in Africa
Over seven million refugees lived in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2021. The region has one of the largest refugee populations globally. In the last decade, the number of refugees living in Africa soared, mainly comprised of Africans fleeing to neighboring countries. The reasons for fleeing home were varied, ranging from internal conflicts to poverty and environmental disasters.
