By Bahati Kanyamanza
Bahati Kanyamanza is a former refugee who spent about 25 years in a Ugandan refugee camp and as a refugee in the United States before he became a naturalised US citizen. He is the Global Partnerships Director at the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and co-founder of COBURWAS International Youth Organization to Transform Africa. For over 20 years he has advocated for the rights of refugees.
At the beginning of 2025, the Trump administration froze almost all foreign aid channeled through institutions like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and suspended the United States Refugee Admissions Program. These programmes not only provided aid, but transformed millions of refugees’ lives, including my own. The United States’ actions created a precedent for other rich donor countries such as Germany, France, and the UK to reduce their own aid budgets.
The cuts have had grave implications. For refugees, they have meant fewer essential services, a reduction of livelihood opportunities, and little or no food assistance. For host countries, especially low- and middle-income countries already struggling to meet the needs of their own populations, they have created more pressure on national economies, the environment, and public services.
In April, I visited Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Uganda, where I spent nearly two decades of my life. Uganda is now hosting over 2 million refugees and, following the aid cuts, is struggling to maintain its response. As I walked through the settlement I once called home, the impacts were impossible to ignore. I saw sickly women and malnourished children who could not access basic malaria medicine and nutrition, sleeping on mats in the sun. A deep sense of hopelessness was visible in the eyes of many refugees.
Recent aid cuts have further exposed weaknesses in the global refugee response, which was designed to deliver lifesaving emergency assistance rather than long-term resilience that would enable refugee agency and accountability for the conflicts that drive displacement. At the same time, host countries continue to impose restrictions on refugees, preventing them from enjoying fundamental rights, even as new and growing conflicts in the Middle East, Sudan and elsewhere displace millions more people from their homes.
In 2023, I wrote an article that reimagined refugee leadership within the United Nations. I argued that refugees should be included in decisions that affect their lives rather than being treated solely as recipients of humanitarian aid. The central premise was that people directly affected by displacement must help design solutions. Today, that argument is more urgent than ever. As major donor countries reduce humanitarian funding, the global response to forced displacement faces growing pressure. Continuing with business as usual is unlikely to produce different outcomes. New approaches are needed that recognise refugees as partners, leaders, and contributors, and that address the root causes of displacement.
I have identified three issues that we need to continue discussing and designing solutions to if we are to develop more stable, agile, and ethical ways of engaging with displacement. These themes come up in every major humanitarian response I have been involved with in recent years, and are key areas that I address in my work:
Investing in opportunity, not violence
Violent conflict has driven the largest waves of civilian displacement in recent decades, perpetuating instability and threats to national security. While governments’ investment in defense spending and military preparedness is necessary to protect from such threats, investing in addressing the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, inequality, political instability, and social exclusion is also critical for building nations’ strength and resilience.
A balanced approach that combines strong defense capabilities with long-term peacebuilding would create more stable and secure societies. Under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, South Africa successfully shifted its defense capabilities into an instrument for regional peacebuilding and established itself as a champion for human rights. Models and approaches like this should be encouraged across the globe. Governments should devote more resources to supporting quality education, employment opportunities, conflict resolution programmes, and community development initiatives that reduce the risk of unrest. Strengthening democratic institutions and promoting human rights and international law help build trust and social cohesion. These measures not only reduce the likelihood of violence, but also contribute to sustainable economic and social development.
Complementary to investing in civil society and domestic institutions, international cooperation can also play a significant role in preventing conflict and violence. Diplomatic engagement, peace negotiations, and partnerships between nations remain important tools for avoiding and resolving disputes before they escalate, enhancing regional and global stability.
Holding those responsible for forced displacement accountable
The three-decade conflict in my home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has displaced over a million refugees across borders, displaced nearly 7 million people inside the country, and resulted in over 6 million deaths since 1996, according to estimates by human rights groups. Multiple investigations, including reports by UN experts, have documented support by neighbouring states for armed groups operating in eastern DRC at different periods of the conflict. These investigations have found that efforts to control the DRC’s mineral resources have been a significant driver of external involvement.
In 2022, the International Court of Justice ordered Uganda to pay the DRC US$325 million in reparations for its involvement in the conflict, the majority of which was to be channeled to individuals and communities affected by the conflict. More recently, the United States attempted to broker a peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda, urging Rwanda to remove its troops from the DRC and sanctioning key Rwandan military leaders and a gold refinery for working with rebels belonging to the M23 armed group. While some successes emerged from these negotiations, such as a mechanism for monitoring and implementing commitments made by the two countries, Rwanda has nevertheless refused to remove its troops from DRC soil and the conflict continues.
The war in the DRC has created senseless tragedy for decades. Measures to hold those responsible for such conflicts accountable should be strengthened, and new ones put in place. These should include forcing parties to conflicts to pay for the needs and welfare of those they displace, as well as reparations for the damage they cause. There is also a need for stronger enforcement mechanisms under international and human rights law. A more independent United Nations Security Council that includes more countries as permanent member states, for example, could play a key role in holding those responsible for forced displacement and destabilising world peace accountable. UN reports on abuses of human rights and international law should include the extent of damage caused to determine reasonable reparations and compensation, as well as accountability under the law. These measures could help deter those responsible for armed conflict, thus reducing forced displacement.
Elevating refugee leadership in the humanitarian sector
It is increasingly clear that the current humanitarian system is not fit for purpose. There is a need to rethink prevailing models and practices to better respond to today’s global crises. Meaningful inclusion of refugees is non-negotiable, an imperative that has been captured by the now commonplace saying in the humanitarian sector, “Nothing for us without us.” Refugees and others displaced by conflict and persecution should be recognised as active contributors to addressing the issues that affect them. Humanitarian institutions should not only embrace inclusion of displaced individuals, but also refugee-led organisations (RLOs) that represent the interests of larger groups. There needs to be a prioritisation of equitable partnerships underpinned by unrestricted funding, the cooperative design of solutions, and incorporation of refugee leadership in decision-making spaces.
The suspension of international aid should not simply prompt appeals for more funding. This moment should serve as a turning point to build a refugee response that prioritises conflict and displacement prevention, accountability, self-reliance, and refugee leadership. Humanitarian assistance will always be necessary during crises, but lasting solutions that prevent displacement, uplift displaced people, and hold those who cause conflicts accountable are vital to establish stability. Arriving at this will require courage and conviction from stakeholders at all levels.
