Every year, millions of people are forced to flee their homes because of war, persecution, and climate shocks. Uganda now hosts over 1.9 million refugees, making it the largest refugee population in Africa and the highest in the country's history. The West Nile sub-region alone hosts over 841,000 people who fled conflict mainly in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan.
These communities face a dense web of overlapping crises. Many receive less than half the food rations they need to survive, after the US funding cuts of 2025 wiped out what little safety net existed. In a single year, GBV incidents rose by 33%, with 98% of survivors being women. Child protection cases rose 37%. In the classrooms where YSAT works, a single teacher sometimes faces 300 children. Refugee youth unemployment stands at 96%. Only 42% of Uganda's refugee response is funded.
YSAT exists to fill these gaps, not as an outside organisation parachuted in, but as part of the community itself.
While South Sudan is battling one of the world's most severe intersectional crises, decades of localised conflict, systemic political fragility, and climate-induced disasters have left millions dependent on a shrinking pool of international aid.
The table below outlines how the national crisis maps directly onto YSAT's Core Thematic Pillars.
Refugees & Displacement
Over 2.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) live in South Sudan. The ongoing conflict in neighbouring Sudan has pushed over 1.3 million new arrivals — refugee returnees and Sudanese refugees — across the border into hyper-strained local communities.
Protection & Safety
SGBV remains rampant, with an estimated 65% of women and girls experiencing physical or sexual violence. Proliferation of small arms and weak governance fuel localised militia recruitment, revenge killings, and systemic protection risks for youth.
Education Deficits
Armed conflict and extreme flooding systematically destroy schools. Millions of crisis-affected youth and girls face absolute barriers to basic literacy, leaving an entire generation cut off from formal training, secondary education, or professional mentorship.
Livelihoods & Hunger
More than half the population faces catastrophic food insecurity. Decades of marginalisation have gutted economic options, while widespread explosive hazards further limit access to fertile agricultural lands and main supply routes.
