Uganda, already Africa’s largest refugee-hosting nation, is on the brink of a humanitarian emergency as the number of displaced people nears 2 million—more than half of them children. With nearly 600 new arrivals daily since January 2025, many fleeing conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the country’s already strained education system is buckling under the pressure.
Overcrowded Classrooms, Overwhelmed Teachers
In refugee settlements, schools are struggling to accommodate the influx of children, many of whom arrive unaccompanied. Volunteer teacher Abdullah, a Sudanese refugee himself, described the dire conditions: “When the class is too full, you cannot supervise the learners well. As a teacher, you need to move between the children to check if they are attentive, but this has not been easy because of the congestion.”
Exams have become a logistical nightmare, with students spilling out onto verandas due to lack of space. “All of them come, and you find them sitting even outside to write their exams,” Abdullah said.
Unaccompanied Minors at Greatest Risk
The crisis is especially severe for young, unaccompanied refugees. Abdullah expressed deep concern for these children: “They have no money, no relatives with them. They are still very young… They need to be guided by someone.”
With emergency funds expected to run dry by September, aid agencies warn of catastrophic consequences if immediate action is not taken. The United Nations has issued urgent appeals for international support, stressing that without intervention, children risk dropping out of school, facing malnutrition, and falling victim to violence.
A Call for Global Assistance
Uganda’s open-door refugee policy has long been praised, but the sheer scale of new arrivals has stretched resources to a breaking point. The UN warns that failure to act now could leave an entire generation of refugee children without education or protection.
As Abdullah somberly noted, “It is sorrowful, but still, I say God will help them.” For now, however, humanitarian agencies stress that divine intervention alone won’t suffice—swift international aid is critical to prevent a deepening crisis.
