Support to the Ugandan Red Cross for a sanitation solution in Kyangwali

The Ugandan Red Cross provides support to populations, notably refugees arriving on Ugandan territory. Recognized as an auxiliary to the government, it works alongside public authorities to respond to the migration crisis affecting the country.

Uganda hosts more than 1.8 million refugees, mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan. Regional conflicts have led to an increase in arrivals in 2025, particularly after the capture of Goma, in the DRC, by the M23. The projection for the year is 145,000 new Congolese refugees, and the Kyangwali camp already houses more than 130,000 refugees. Water and sanitation infrastructure is under particular strain.

To address this, the Ugandan Red Cross has committed to deploying the Saniforce, the low-carbon fecal sludge treatment solution designed by the Veolia Foundation for humanitarian contexts. This thermal sludge pasteurization system, with low energy consumption, eliminates 99.9% of pathogens. The benefit is twofold: the risk of contamination among populations after treatment is drastically reduced; the economic cost is lowered because, as the treatment is local, authorities no longer have to transport the sludge to secure it.

The deployment of Saniforce in Kyangwali is the subject of regular missions by Veoliaforce experts, and the support of the Veolia Foundation for the Ugandan Red Cross will also allow for the inauguration of the system to better raise awareness of this forward-looking solution for sanitation in humanitarian contexts.