Uganda to host 2,000 Afghan refugees at request of US

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) – The East African nation of Uganda has agreed to host 2,000 Afghan refugees at the request of US authorities.

Authorities in Uganda said on Monday that the country is to host 2,000 Afghans fleeing the country after Taliban forces seized control over the weekend.

According to Esther Davinia Anyakun, the minister of state for disaster preparedness and refugees, the refugees will be hosted temporarily at the request of the US government. She said they will be coming in batches of 500 starting later today, and some hotels near the airport have been booked for them.

She said: “We have secured some hotels. We expect some diplomats. Upon arrival, we shall begin screening them to identify diplomats who will be taken to the hotels.”

She said the United States will cover the bill for all expenses of the refugees for their entire stay in Uganda.

In evacuating Afghans who previously worked with its forces, the US has sought third countries to house refugees while their applications are processed.

Uganda hosts over 1.5 million refugees, mostly from neighboring countries including Somalia, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.