The Ambassador of Italy
to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi
Speech from H.E. Ambassador Domenico Fornara on the occasion of the Uganda Solidarity Summit on Refugees
Kampala, 23 June 2017
Your Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda;
Your Excellency Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations;
Right and Honourable Ruhakana Rugunda, Prime Ministers of the Republic of Uganda;
Hon. Sam Kutesa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda;
Your Excellency Filippo Grandi,High Commissioner for Refugees;
Excellencies, Hon. Ministers, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
allow me first to express my most sincere appreciation to the Government of Uganda for hosting and organizing this Conference together with the United Nations. It is of the utmost importance that we continue to remain focused on this humanitarian plight of South Sudan, whose impact goes well beyond South Sudanese borders and affects the entire Region, especially Uganda. We shall avoid that South Sudan becomes another “forgotten crisis”.
It is therefore of a paramount importance for the international community to renew today here in Kampala its firm commitment to provide immediate relief assistance to the civilian population and identify additional steps in order to ensure their protection. This is a “humanitarian imperative”: saving lives and protecting the dignity of people wherever it is necessary and doing it in accordance with the principles of neutrality, humanity, independence and impartiality.
Italy hopes that this conference will also serve to widen the donor base and appeals to all parties to join in collective efforts.
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We commend the efforts of neighboring countries, in particular Uganda, which hosts by now 1 million South Sudanese refugees and we acknowledge the enormous strain on this country caused by hosting large refugee population over long periods of time.
The “Ugandan model” in responding to refugee crises is exemplary, as we have witnessed with our eyes on the occasion of yesterday’s field visits.
In view of the protracted nature of the conflict, we stress the need for a new approach to the international response, involving bolstered support to the refugees and host countries and communities. We commend therefore the strategic and longer-term focus of the Uganda Government, continuing to provide humanitarian aid to cover the immediate needs, but also increasingly addressing the longer-term needs of both refugees and host communities, for example through improving access for refugees to land and to the national labor market.
Italian people have always been close to Ugandans, especially in difficult moments. Therefore Italy spares no effort to work side by side with Uganda in this extraordinary endeavor.
Already in 2016 we allocated 3.9 Million euro of humanitarian aid in response to the South Sudanese crisis, out of which 1 million Euro was disbursed to support crucial humanitarian interventions carried out by the Italian NGO’s in the refugee camps in the northern Regions of Uganda.
I am glad to inform that Italy pledges today further 5 Million Euro of humanitarian aid and that 2 Million Euro of this amount will be specifically earmarked for activities to be carried out in Uganda by UNHCR and Italian NGO’s.
In addition, we have just carried out – in cooperation with the UN Humanitarian Logistic Base in Brindisi – an airlifted humanitarian delivery of various relief items in favor of the Rhino refugee camp in the Arua Region.
Furthermore, and beyond ongoing development programs implemented by the Italian Cooperation, we will continue to provide critical support through a soft loan to improve Uganda’s national health system, particularly in the northern part of the country. This effort is in line with the longstanding bilateral co-operation with the Government of Uganda, aimed at improving - also through partnership with UN agencies - its capacity to deliver basic services in the field of health.
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Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to conclude by saying that despite our effort, there cannot be a humanitarian solution to the crisis in South Sudan: only politics, diplomacy and continuous dialogue can put an end to the inhumane suffering of thousands of innocent civilians and bring a durable solution to the conflict. Italy calls upon the Leaders in the region for a renewed political effort. And let me remind in particular to all South Sudanese leaders that their primary responsibility should be the promotion of the safety and well-being of their people.
Thank you.
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