Resilience of refugees experiencing World Food Programme food aid cuts in Kyaka II settlement, Kyegegwa District, Uganda

Abstract

World Food Programme (WFP) was providing considerably reasonable food assistance (food and cash rations) to refugees in different parts of the world over the years. However, COVID-19 pandemic affected its funding and consequently resulted into reductions in food assistance for refugees. Such cuts in food aid could not have happened without noticeable impact on the affected individuals and families as well as ways in which they were coping. Thus the study set out to explore the resilience of refugees affected by WFP food aid cuts in Uganda specifically in Kyaka II Settlement, Kyegegwa District. Specifically, the study aimed at examining the socio-economic and psychosocial effects of food aid cuts on the wellbeing of refugees at individual, family and community levels. Besides, it set out to explore the coping strategies and protective factors for refugees at individual, family, community level and institutional level. Methodologically, the study utilised a purely qualitative approach with a phenomenological research design based on an interpretivism epistemology and constructionism ontology. With a sample of 84 participants, 8 Focus Group Discussions (51 participants), 4 group interviews (19 participants), 9 in-depth interviews and 5 key informant interviews were conducted. Ethical approval was obtained from Makerere University School of Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (Ref: MUSSS-2023-324) and Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (Ref: SS2412ES). Data was analysed thematically with the support of NVIVO 14. Findings indicated that socio-economic effects of food aid cuts included: reduction in income, poor personal hygiene and increased debts at individual level; increased food insecurity, family neglect and child marriage at family level; increased school dropout, increased crime rates, mobility, collapse of business and increase in commercial sex at community level. Regarding the psychosocial effects, refugees experienced: insomnia, overthinking, stress, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts at individual level; parents lost respect from children and men lost respect from for their wives at family level; intragroup and intergroup social tensions at community level. The coping strategies that were adopted to boost the resilience of refugees were involvement in causal labour (digging, washing clothes and fetching water), farming, engagement in income generating activities (boda boda riding, crafts making, vending food items and carrying luggage) and leveraging vocational skills (tailoring, hair dressing and cosmetology) at micro level; seeking for support from neighbours, host community, religious institutions and local leaders, and accessing credit through Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) at meso-level. Support was in inform of in kind items (food, sanitary pads, scholastic materials, clothing), counselling, psychosocial support, referral services and advocacy for the needy individuals. However, refugees employed some negative coping strategies, these were reductions in the number of meals, theft, begging, school dropouts, child labour, child marriage, commercial sex and substance abuse which had negative consequences on the psychosocial, cognitive and social functioning of children, youth, adults, older persons, males and females. Protective factors were: possession of personal assets (bicycles, attestation cards and land), psychical strength and skills possession at individual level; social support networks and family friends at family level; supportive neighbours and host community, availability of land, access to VSLAs, schools (school feeding programmes), supportive Non-Government Organizations and government and a favourable refugee policy at community and institutional level. In conclusion, social work aims at fostering normal social functioning of individuals when faced with challenges. The study demonstrated that despite the shocks experienced by refugees as a result of food aid cuts, they utilized their strengths or locally available resources to remain resilient. Hence there is need to support them through socio-economic empowerment programs which promote resilience.