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Paper short abstract:

Uganda adopted a 70:30 policy. It stipulates that 30% of aid is given to the host community and 70% to refugees. There is dearth academic literature detailing the practicality of this policy especially in the context of cash transfers. This paper explores the experiences of Ugandan beneficiaries.

Paper long abstract:

This paper explores the experiences of Ugandan beneficiaries of non-state cash transfer programmes among host communities. Uganda currently hosts 1.5 million refugees who are receiving humanitarian and development assistance from over hundred non-state actors. Often, initiatives to support refugees create a feeling of exclusion for the host population. Refugee host communities in Africa are poor, isolated and often forgotten in the periphery of the state. Uganda adopted the 70:30 policy that entitles host populations to benefit from assistance targeting refugees. The policy states that humanitarian and development assistance targeting refugee populations should distribute assistance following a 70:30 ratio, were 70% goes to the refugees and 30% the host community. However, there is a dearth of academic literature documenting the practice of this policy especially within the context of cash transfers. We know little about how host community beneficiaries experience cash transfer programmes and the 70:30 policy. This paper discusses the experiences of host-community beneficiaries of cash transfer programmes meant for refugees, their perceptions as beneficiaries and the implications on their relationship with the state and non-state actors providing the cash transfers. The findings presented are based on an ethnographic study conducted in West Nile Uganda.