On June 20, 2026, the world marked International Refugee Day under the poignant theme “Until Everyone is Safe,”.

We were reminded that safety is not a destination; it is a continuous commitment. For Uganda, that commitment is deeply rooted in history, dating back to the post-World War II era. Today, however, the sheer scale of need tests this legacy like never before.

With over two million refugees now seeking sanctuary within its borders, and numbers still climbing, Uganda stands as Africa’s largest refugee-hosting nation. Its open-door policy and progressive settlement model, which integrates refugees alongside host communities, have earned global praise.

Yet, this generosity comes at a steep price. Globally, humanitarian funding is shrinking, and Uganda’s response is stretched to its limits. In this climate of scarcity, the old playbook of short-term aid is no longer sufficient.

The Humanitarian- Development-Peace Nexus (HDP) approach is not just a policy ideal but an operational necessity. It compels us to move beyond crisis management and toward root-cause mitigation, risk reduction, and long- term resilience.

For Uganda, this means shifting the narrative from refugees as passive recipients of aid to active participants in national development. This is precisely where development actors like JICA have stepped in.

Unlike traditional humanitarian interventions that focus on immediate relief, JICA’s work is anchored in sustainability and shared prosperity. In the West Nile sub-region, a JICA- commissioned social infrastructure study identified critical strains on roads, health facilities, schools, and water systems caused by the influx.

In response, we are rehabilitating a key national road, not just for host communities, but with refugees employed alongside locals through Labour-Based Technology (LBT). This approach does more than build roads; it builds livelihoods, transfers skills, and fosters social cohesion.

It challenges the perception of refugees as burdens and reframes them as contributors to Uganda’s economic fabric. Similarly, our Eco-PRiDE project on sustainable rice farming is empowering both refugee and host-community farmers through the Musomesa Field School, a farmer-to-farmer training model that enhances food security and income generation.

Meanwhile, through the PROCEED initiative with the Ministry of Local Government, we are supporting inclusive district development planning that ensures refugee needs are embedded in local budgets and strategies. These efforts are not solo endeavors.

The World Bank, UN agencies, and other bilateral partners remain indispensable for pillars of the response. But collective progress demands collective innovation. While commemorating this day, we must confront an uncomfortable truth, the global refugee crisis will not be solved by humanitarian aid alone.

It demands political will, sustained investment in development, and a renewed focus on the drivers of displacement: conflict, instability, and increasingly, climate change. Uganda has shown that hospitality and pragmatism can coexist.

Now, the international community must match that spirit with smarter, more resilient financing and a shared commitment to solutions that outlast any single crisis. Because until everyone is safe, not just today, but tomorrow, our work is far from over.

The author is program officer at JICA Uganda

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