During a ceremony in Kampala today, attended by H.E. Virginie Leroy, Ambassador of France to Uganda, and Ms Lauren Landis, WFP's Country Director in Uganda, it was announced that the contribution will enable WFP to provide life-saving food and nutrition assistance to more than 70,000 people in 2026.
"This partnership comes when WFP faces severe funding challenges," said Lauren Landis. "With France's support, we can save lives, boost local economies, and help families recover from unimaginable hardship. These resources allow us to address malnutrition both proactively and preventively, supporting communities in the sustainable production and consumption of nutritious foods."
Running from January to December 2026, the contribution will focus on emergency food assistance for newly arrived refugees from the Great Lakes Region, integrated nutrition programmes for mothers and children, and school feeding in Karamoja.
"France is determined to contribute to Uganda's exemplary policy of welcoming refugees. I am proud that we support WFP and its vital humanitarian programme in Uganda," said Ambassador Leroy. "This funding reflects France's commitment to addressing food insecurity and malnutrition among the most vulnerable people, particularly refugees and children. By supporting WFP's integrated approach, we are investing not only in immediate humanitarian relief, but also in long-term resilience and sustainable development for communities across Uganda."
France's contribution will enable WFP to provide urgent food assistance to nearly 40,000 newly arrived refugees fleeing conflict in the region. The emergency response includes high-energy biscuits at border points, hot meals at transit centres, and cash-based transfers for refugees to purchase food. Uganda is home to almost 2 million refugees, and that number is still rising. Just this year, over 140,000 people have arrived from neighbouring countries.
One out of every four children in Uganda is stunted, (low height for age) impacting long-term learning and productivity. The contribution will support WFP's nutrition efforts for 3,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women and 7,000 children, in refugee reception centres where malnutrition rates are high. WFP will promote locally sourced, nutrient-rich recipes, including METU 1 - a therapeutic food made from sorghum, groundnuts, sugar, and oil - to treat moderate acute malnutrition.
In Karamoja, where 85 percent of the population lives in poverty and three quarters of school children lack access to meals, 20,000 learners across 33 schools in Nakapiripirit District will receive daily nutritious meals.
"Our support will contribute to the Karamoja school feeding programme. School meals improve attendance, reduce dropout rates, especially among girls, and give children the energy to learn," Ambassador Leroy added. "By linking schools to local farmers, particularly women-led groups, we support WFP to strengthen food systems which benefit entire communities."
