A UN report has found that millions of Euro earmarked for tackling Africa’s largest refugee crisis has been lost through mismanagement and potential corruption.
The internal inquiry found that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) misspent millions as part of its refugee programme in Uganda.
The East African country hosts more than one million refugees who have fled a range of countries including South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The work of the UNHCR in the country has provided a lifeline to hundreds of thousands of the world’s most vulnerable people, however the internal report warns that the agency may also have wasted millions through overpaying partners for goods, improperly awarding contracts and the over-counting of refugees.
UNHCR worker Anahit Hayrapetyan (front) tends to refugees who have taken boats over Lake Albert to flee from the Congo into Uganda, 06-03-2018. Image: Henry Wasswa/DPA/PA Images
Car park
In one case, €281,000 meant for the refugee programme was spent on constructing a car park at the Ugandan Prime Minister’s office.
The prime minister’s office was also found to be using UN money to pay €250,000 annually to dozens of its staff – but was unable to provide documentation proving that the civil servants were working on UNHCR projects.
The UNHCR also paid €7m to a company that “did not have experience in road construction” to build more than 1,200km of roads.
The report also highlights widespread mismanagement, inflated bills, fraud and non-compliance with rules.
Congolese refugee children stand in front of makeshift tents at the UNHCR Nyakabande Transit Centre, Uganda, 17-04-2013. Image: Bastian Schnabel/DPA/PA Images
The report warns that the funds may have been diverted from their original purpose because the amount of people who fled to the country from South Sudan may have been over-counted.
Over €9.5m is now being spent on a recount of South Sudanese refugees in a search for potentially hundreds of thousands of “ghost refugees.”
"We have acknowledged serious shortcomings and have already started taking action," said UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch.
"(The) majority of the actions resulting from these reviews have been implemented even before the final audit report was released."
Uganda has taken in more refugees than any other country in the world – excepting Turkey and Pakistan.
It has been widely praised for its efforts but has also face scrutiny over claims of corruption.
