Disabled Sudanese refugees in Uganda camps face aid vacuum, advocates say
November 30, 2025 (KAMPALA) – Sudanese refugees with disabilities are facing severe challenges in camps both inside Sudan and in neighbouring countries, including a critical shortage of sign language interpreters and inadequate facilities, aid workers said on Sunday.
More than 400 people with disabilities are living in Uganda’s Kiryandongo refugee camp alone, struggling with unsafe conditions and lack of accessibility, according to Saadiya Issa Ismail, secretary-general of the Osratuna Sudanese Association for People with Disabilities.
“People with disabilities face major challenges in external camps and displacement centres inside Sudan,” Saadiya told Sudan Tribune, citing difficulty moving around, absence of sign language interpretation, lack of prosthetic limbs and high medicine costs.
Most children with disabilities are out of school, she added.
The number of Sudanese with disabilities has increased since fighting between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted in April 2023, with many suffering amputations from the conflict, Saadiya said. Premature births caused by the crisis have also led to intellectual disabilities and psychological problems.
Mona Gasim, coordinator of the Safe Passages and Friendly Housing Initiative, which evacuates and shelters people with disabilities, said conditions in Uganda present additional obstacles, including rugged terrain, language barriers and the absence of sign language interpreters.
“Kiryandongo camp is not disability-friendly due to the lack of safety, unsuitable facilities, inadequate toilets, and difficulty accessing service centres,” she said.
People with intellectual disabilities faced particular danger during recent security incidents at the camp because they were unable to flee quickly, Gasim said. She did not provide details about the incidents.
Kiryandongo camp, located near the city of Bweyale in northern Uganda, houses refugees in tents vulnerable to wind and rain. The camp lacks a health facility and has limited water sources, refugees say.
Uganda hosts nearly 92,000 Sudanese refugees, most in Kiryandongo, living under harsh conditions that worsened after the United Nations cut support. The most vulnerable groups now receive only 22% of standard food rations.
Sudan’s 20-month conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 10 million people, creating what the U.N. calls one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. More than 2 million Sudanese have fled to neighbouring countries.