Humanitarian Update - Uganda, Volume IV, Issues 7/8

July/August 2002
Insecurity persists in northern Uganda

Neighbouring districts get spill over

Kony’s Lords Resistance Army (LRA) attacks in northern Uganda have been unrelenting since they resumed in mid-June 2002. The continued resurgence has worsened security, looting, abductions, killings and destruction of houses and other property and increased displacement in Acholi region of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader Districts. Since the entry of between 2000-3000 LRA forces into Uganda from Southern Sudan, there is no doubt the Northern Uganda has degenerated into an emergency humanitarian situation. Unfortunately though, due to the insecurity, humanitarian agencies have been forced to scale down their activities to the towns and are thus unable to access most of the affected population, even as their needs increase. This has worsened an already fragile situation in IDP camps and villages.

Throughout July and August, Kitgum, Gulu and Pader towns have been overcrowded with displaced people who are seeking refugee in institutions such as hospital grounds, schools, churches and shop verandas. In July, Lacor Hospital alone had an estimated 40,000 night-stayers. However by 21st August reports indicated that this number had reduced to between 5000-7000 per night. However, the humanitarian situation can still be described as horrendous - the displaced sleep out in the cold (no shelter no blankets), there is inadequate water and sanitation facilities, inadequate medical facilities, and so on - and the needs of the displaced require urgent attention.

A few urban and rural centres and existing facilities for refugees and displaced that are still considered safe are becoming congested with people seeking safety. This is stretching local capacities, amenities and resources beyond limits and poses enormous dangers to the health and security of hundreds of 1000s of people without shelter and access to basic services. Food distributions have been given priority and WFP food convoys move under very heavy military escort. However other non-food items are still desperately needed. Unfortunately in some cases, even when available, relief agencies are unable to deliver them to all the population in need. The insecurity has also not permitted assessments into IDP camps or villages to measure the impact of the insurgence on the IDPs and civilian population. Meanwhile, agencies and District authorities in all three districts have endeavoured to carry out some assessments of the situation, leaning a lot on secondary information.

The following assessments are available in OCHA; AVSI/IRC/DDMC - Interagency Assessment of Kitgum District Displacement (31st July): ActionAid/IRC/Pader NGO Forum/DDMC - Interagency Assessment of Pader District Displacement (31st July): Report from the Kitgum DDMC meeting on (19th August): IRC/AAU/PNF/Pader DDMC - Assessment report on Emergency relief Needs for Pader IDPs: URCS/Caritas and Catholic Parishes - IDP Camp Assessment Data and Gulu Municipality Assessment Data from Hospital/Mission registration records: IDP situation in Masindi, Apac and Nebbi Districts: Medair/Oxfam/CoU/WFP/ ADOL/Uganda Red Cross Kotido/Kotido District authorities - Survey Report of Kotido District (8-10th August).

Despite a lack of comprehensive assessments in camps further away from towns, it is evident that the nutrition status and consequently the health of IDPs is deteriorating. WFP and ACF have noted that the nutritional status of children coming into town is worrying. After a one-month gap due to the insecurity, WFP began delivering food on July 15 and apart from WFP, no agency has really been out in the camps outside of the towns. By 28th August, WFP reported having distributed food to all camps, schools and centres where people had camped. However, about 6 camps are yet to be covered in Gulu (Note: Gulu has 32 IDP camps, Kitgum has 7 and Pader 1). The food security concern is aggravated by the fact that people cannot get to their gardens to harvest their crops, or prepare gardens and plant in the second season. Furthermore the imminent El Nino effects will worsen an already dire situation in the north. It should be noted though, that people in Kitgum and Pader are accessing their gardens more than in Gulu.

Government and humanitarian agencies on the ground are trying to intervene in any way they can and reaching as many of the affected population as possible. From a statement presented to the House by the State Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Government has moved in to enhance security in northern Uganda, provide food and non-food items, medicines and plans to construct a special school for children rescued from the LRA and war orphans. Government has also left the door open for peace negotiations with the LRA. On 23rd August, President Museveni - who has pitched camp in Gulu since early August to oversee a solution to the current insecurity - designated a Government team for talks with the rebels. Both sides have offered terms for a ceasefire, but no agreement has been reached yet. These overtures from Government spell some hope for the north. It is also encouraging to note that the intensity and frequency of LRA attacks has decreased in the past two weeks, but the security is still very fluid for the rebels have the capacity to attack anywhere at anytime.

Some of the agency activities are highlighted below:

• Action Against Hunger (ACF-USA) begun a cautious re-engagement of water, sanitation and nutritional activities in Gulu municipality and its immediate environs beginning 18th August.
  
  
• GOAL have been giving small scale support to Kalongo Hospital in Pader, but stepped up their support, with UNICEF facilitation, to respond to the increasing humanitarian demand of the displaced people camped at the hospital grounds.
  
  
• AVSI has offices in Gulu and Kitgum. The Pshyco Social Support Programme in Kitgum and Pader ended on 31st July and one of the last activities was the creation of in Kitgum of a buffer stock of emergency NFI of about 150 kits. The kits are currently used and distributed in co-ordination with the DDMC to particularly vulnerable group of people affected by the recent insurgency. Other programmes include support to the reintegration of former child soldiers in Kitgum and Pader, distribution of NFIs to various locations in Kitgum and construction of latrines in collaboration with IRC, AVSI has also submitted a proposal for funding to OFDA to support to war affected population in northern Uganda.
  
  
• CRS resumed several activities at the end of August, after suspending them in July. Activities resumed include seed fairs in counties of Kilak, Omoro, Nwoya and Aswa in Gulu and continuation of their peace and justice projects.
  
  
• CARE has so far sent medical supplies and shelter materials to Gulu for distribution by others and has submitted proposals to donors for additional shelter material and health interventions in Gulu. It is also seeking funds to rehabilitate boreholes in Gulu.
  
  
• Following the safe release of five of its staff members by the LRA on August 10, IRC is continuing its humanitarian programs in northern Uganda. In Kitgum town, IRC is currently providing water and sanitation assistance to thousands of internally displaced persons seeking shelter in the town, assisting KICWA to care for over 100 former abductees of the LRA, assisting Lira district officials distribute NFIs to the hundreds of displaced in the town and surrounding areas, IRC has expanded medical facilities, built water and sanitation facilities and begun food distributions for the new refugee caseload in Kiryandongo refugee settlement in Masindi District.
  
  
• OXFAM plans an intervention for three months - to provide safe water supply and sensitisation and construction of sanitary facilities, targeting 16,036 IDPs (Kitgum hospital, hill top) and 6,020 most vulnerable night commuters in St. Joseph Hospital, Kitgum hospital, Kitgum Public and Guilio Pastore Schools.
  
  
• Uganda Red Cross Society has been distributing NFI in the three districts.
  
  
• UNICEF has availed tents to World Vision (2), Lacor (4), Gulu (1) and Anaka (1) hospitals, 55 cartons of High Protein milk, 25 bicycles, 50 Crest latrines (30 Lacor, 10 Gulu Hospital, 10 for Anaka Hospital). It has also delivered blankets, jerrycans, soap, biscuits, plastic sheeting and several household items like cooking pans and basins.
  
  
• Before the resurgence in June 2002, WFP was distributing 30 percent of minimum daily dietary requirements to 520,000 IDPs, but is currently working to distribute 100 percent to this massive caseload. People are now depending almost entirely on WFP for food. Moreover, even if the security situation improves rapidly, sustained food need is anticipated, as there is no planting going on for the second season - thus there will be no significant harvest prior to August 2003, at best.
  
  
• WHO dispatched some 10 medical kits to Gulu, with plans to dispatch the same to Pader and to KitgumthroughNGOs; has also availed 4 medical kits to UNHCR for the refugees moving to Kiryadongo; is funding Gulu district to allow medical staff carry out outreach programmes and has requested more funding from headquarters to address cholera, meningitis, female hygiene and malaria.
  
  
• UNFPA shifted its programme to emergency response and has given 8 tonnes of safe birth kits to IRC for distribution to medical units and has ordered more from headquarters. Has also subcontracted AMREF and CPAR to equip some maternity units on the periphery of Gulu.
  
  
• FAO dispatched agricultural kits to Gulu, Kitgum and Pader, but these are currently still in Government stores. With the constant movement of people they are not likely to be distributed soon. Aim of the kits is to make the people more self-sufficient in the long run.

The insecurity in northern Uganda has affected the neighbouring districts as well. In Kotido for example, IDPs, mainly children of school going age and mothers, started filtering into the district. By August 11th, there were 255 registered children in Jie County, mainly in Kotido town, 300 children in Dodoth County in the border towns with Kitgum/Pader and 87 children were identified so far in boarding schools in Labwor. Their main needs were identified as food, shelter, blankets and soap. Most of the children stay in boarding schools or good smaritan families, while others sleep on verandas in Kotido town. With the failing rains, the IDPs and existing population are struggling to survive on the meagre food left. An extra mouth to feed exacerbates the problem.

The LRA presence in Lira resulted in several attacks causing direct displacement, deaths and injuries, abductions and destruction of properties. In-depth assessments are yet to be done to ascertain the extent of the crisis. Additionally, an estimated 531 students are stranded in Lira from the districts of Gulu and Pader.

Furthermore, Uganda is approaching the third term where children will sit for their Primary Leaving and "O" and "A" level exams. As of 4th September 2002, the NGO Forum for Education in Uganda (FENU) had registered 490 candidates from the affected districts in northern Uganda and their plight was raised with the Office of the Prime Minister/Department of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, such that the Ministry of Education ensures these students do their exams in the districts they fled to.

Government requested WFP to assess the need for food assistance in districts surrounding the Northern area of insecurity, and due to dry conditions in some districts. To this end, assessments in the near future are being organised together with WFP partners.

As the editorial of the August Justice and Peace News aptly put it, the people of northern Uganda are currently caught up in-between the hope for peace talks between Government and the LRA and the enormously high level of violence. There is no doubt a desperate need to break the spiral of violence and offer a new direction to end the current conflict using all alternatives possible.

Calm Prevails in Rwenzori Region

The situation in Southwestern Uganda can generally be summarised as very promising. With increased security and favourable weather during 2002, the region has experienced an increase in food production, increased individual and family income directly due to the fact the IDPs are returning/or have returned to their homes. The majority of the population in Bundibugyo, approximately 80 percent, were IDPs and currently depend on agricultural activities as their main source of food and income. This is a very big improvement from being almost wholly dependent on relief food, with hardly any source of income.

Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacks beginning in1996 up to mid-2001 caused displacement of local populations, limited access to land, insecurity, collapse in purchasing power, family income/assets and morals. Bundibugyo District bore the brunt of the ADF attacks and had the largest number of IDPs in the region, which peaked at 120,000 in the year 2000. To date Bundibugyo is reported as the only district with IDPs in Southwestern or Rwenzori region. Though no comprehensive assessment has been undertaken, most IDPs in Kasese and Kabarole districts either returned home or integrated into the community. Kasese reports less than 200 IDPs remain and are in the process of integrating into the local population. Kabarole reports less than 100 IDPs remain and are expected to return permanently upon repairing their homes and community infrastructure. Repair of community infrastructure has been identified as one of the main incentives to facilitate IDPs return to their homes of origin. Other factors that would act as pull factors for IDPs are provision of building materials such as iron sheets; household supplies including jerry cans, kitchen utensils, blankets and so on; agricultural inputs (seeds, farming implements and livestock). Health interventions, particularly immunizations, HIV/AIDs awareness, sensitisation in early childcare, prenatal care, malaria prevention and nutrition is also a key area of concern both for the displaced and those returning home.

Since late 2001 ADF attacks have greatly diminished resulting in the gradual return of IDPs to their original homes, greater access to gardens, markets and purchasing power. The changing situation has meant agencies move from relief efforts to development.

WFP, a major actor in the region, is distributing a settlement package, both food and non-food items (NFIs) to about 74,657 out of 87,000 IDPs. The beneficiaries are receiving food for three months and agricultural tools of a hoe and a panga per family and distributions are scheduled to end in the first week of September. Meanwhile, WFP, which ceased general food distributions in the first week of July 2002, is still receiving registrations of IDPs who have returned to their homes of origin and also concentrating on its remaining programmes - school feeding to cover all 112 primary schools with an estimated 62,000 pupils and Food for Assets (FFA) which is slowly picking up pace.

Several factors have been cited as cause for residual IDPs especially in Bundibugyo District. These include urbanization, the need to rebuild community infrastructure, disrepair of homes and pit latrines, lack of land - some families sold their land during the war - and, many IDPs remain sceptical about security in the villages thus remaining in the IDP camps.

Bundibugyo reported a fair first harvest season with no delays expected in the present planting season. A significant increase in self-sustainability has been reported with a majority of the IDPs now able to feed itself with over 70 percent of the IDP population having access to land. The district reported an improved coffee, cocoa and vanilla bean harvest. The next harvest season looks promising, increasing food security in the district. Current IDP figures in Bundibugyo district are difficult to ascertain, however some estimates put the IDP population between 50,000 to 65,000.

Kasese District reported 50 percent of farmers will have a good harvest, despite the initial delay in rainfall. Furthermore normal rainfall is predicated for the second season, set to commence in September.

Kabarole District reported a good harvest season with some areas bordering Kasese district having a one-month rain delay. Most of the district however, reports no rain delays expected in the current planting season.

Note: Rwenzori Region covers the districts of Kabarole, Kasese, Bundibugyo , Kamwenge, and Kyenjojo. Kamwenge and Kyenjojo have no IDPs and were part of Kabarole until 2001 when they were made independent districts. (Main source of information is CRS and WFP)

Refugee News

Following the entry of the LRA into Uganda from Sudan in June 2002, the rebels intensified their operation along Gulu-Adjumani boarder, a situation that has caused considerable panic among the population of Adjumani District. In July, one serious incident was reported from the UNHCR sub-office Pakelle (SOP), which is part of Adjumani District. On 8th July 2002, an estimated 150-200 rebels attacked Sites 9, 11 and 13 in Maaji II and III refugee settlements, killing a government soldier and 6 refugees and injuring others. The rebels attacked the two refugee villages on two fronts and overran the nearby army detach. During the attack, 127 refugee houses were burnt and 7 refugees were abducted and later released after carrying the loot deep into Zoka forest. The abducted refugees included 5 men and a woman with her 3 month-old baby. On their release, the rebels gave them a warning letter to deliver to the UPDF commander, that, they do not want refugees in the settlement any longer and adding that, they would return to the settlement after two weeks. They warned that, they would kill indiscriminately any refugee found still in the settlement and as a result, about 8,000 refugees have evacuated Maaji 2, 3, 4 and 5. The displaced refugees have sought refuge in churches, relatives and friends homes in the neighbouring settlements and they venture into their villages to collect food and firewood. There are however, a few heads of families who reside in their homes to guard their crop from theft and destruction by wild animals. The rest of the family members come in the morning to tend to their fields and collect food and go back to their areas of abode by 5.00 p.m.

Despite Government heavily deploying troops in the settlements and the entire district, and assurances that the situation is under control, the people in Adjumani continue to live in fear as a result of rumours of another possible attack. There has however, been no incident since the attack on 8th July and life has continued somewhat normally in the rest of the district.

Following the rebel attack, SOP co-ordinated an emergency operation with WFP, OPM, OPs and IPs, to provide essential services to the displaced refugees. The intervention included distribution of NFIs comprising of plastic sheeting, cups, plates, saucepans, blankets and soap to the families whose houses were burnt and food comprising of cereals and pulses to the refugees of the affected sites, who had otherwise been depending on root crops from their gardens. Other remedial measures taken included: allowing Primary 7 candidates to temporarily attend classes wherever they are, since they were preparing for the pre-mock and mock examinations in July and August respectively; construction of a temporary communal latrine at Maaji base camp to alleviate the population pressure on the latrines within the homesteads; beefing-up of drug delivery and personnel to the two health centres of Maaji A and Maaji B; expedite drilling of a bore-hole earlier planned for Ukusujoni and Maaji I and health education and community services intensified within the hosting areas.

The security situation in both refugee settlements covered by SO Arua remained generally calm during the reporting period, with two incidents of suspected robberies in Imvepi settlement. The reported warning to Sudanese refugees by Kony has continued to be a source of fear apprehension for the refugees in Imvepi, as most of them were victims of the rebel attack on Ikafe (now part of the Yumbe District).

The security situation in FO Kitgum (FOK), which is also responsible for Pader District, remained fluid through the reporting period. A number of attacks by the LRA were reported against the national population, living in and around Kitgum District, including a minor attack on Achol Pii on 31st July. The major attack - August 5th - was on Achol Pii refugee settlement, which is covered by UNHCR Kitgum field office. The attack, in which over 50 were killed; many injured; several abducted, including 5 IRC staff; and a lot of property destroyed caused spontaneous fleeing of 24,000 refugees to Lira on some onto to Kiryadongo in Masindi District. Consequently, Government closed Achol Pii refugee settlement. OPM, UNHCR and its implementing partners then shifted the refugees from Lira to Kiryadongo refugee settlement, as a temporary measure. Beginning the week of 2nd September, 8000 of these refugees will be moved Kyangwali refugee settlement in Hoima.

Current Food Security Conditions

Normal household food access is reported in most of the southern half of Uganda where adequate household stocks and market supplies are evident. Staple crops - matooke, sweet and Irish potatoes, beans, sorghum - are available in adequate quantities to afford sufficient food and nutrition to the population with no visible food stress. Lower than normal production and/or civil insecurity bar access to adequate food for the people living in some eastern, northern and Northeastern parts of Uganda.

Considering the poor performance of the first season’s rains and likely risky food security conditions in eastern, northern and northeastern Uganda, an Inter Agency Forum on food security, early warning and vulnerability assessment plans to carry out a joint assessment of five districts in eastern Uganda. The Forum comprises the Department of Disaster Management and Refugees (Office of the Prime Minister), Department of Meteorology, the Early Warning Unit (Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries), FEWS NET and the UN’s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and World Food Programme among other organizations. The assessment is planned for September 2002 and is expected to cover Katakwi, Kumi, Pallisa, Soroti and Tororo Districts. A later assessment will be carried out in Kotido, Moroto and Nakapiripirit if security permits. The main purpose is to verify food condition in the districts with a view to deriving consensus and informing policy.

Rainfall Conditions: Mixed rainfall conditions were observed during the first rainy season, which was dominated by unusually extended dry periods resulting in much below normal rainfall for many parts of Uganda. The rains started on time in March but declined soon after, giving way to dry conditions as early as May over most of central, eastern, northern and northeastern regions. The dry conditions, which persist up to now, are attributed to occurrence of the El Niño event, which has affected normal rainfall patterns, according to the Uganda Department of Meteorology and the Regional Drought Monitoring Center, Nairobi. Field reports by District Agriculture officials and non-government organizations indicate that the most affected areas have been eastern, northern and northeastern Uganda where rainfall has not been received since April 2002. The rainy season is normally established by April. This affected farmers’ crop and livestock production activities. (FEWS NET August 2002 Newsletter)

Karamoja faces severe Drought

Reports from Karamoja indicate that there has been more than 90 percent crop failure in its dry belt. Those who have been in the region for more than two decades are quoted as saying that since the eighties, there has never been such crop failure. Sadly, in Dodoth county - the largest, most populated and remotest of all Karamoja counties - the Karimojong are destroying their soils as they attempt to cultivate in the dry belt, i.e. Kaabong, Kathile, Kapedo, and Loyoro. Already, gully erosion can be noticed everywhere and there are reports of a village that was swept away due to soil erosion.

There is absolute no water and soil conservation practices introduced. However KPIU is helping the first ever Karamojong Bachelor of Science agriculturist graduate, to complete his studies this year. KPIU will facilitate his trip to Machakos (East of Nairobi) in Kenya to complete his research paper and take contacts for possible future exposure tours and networking. Hopefully more qualified people will be identified and assisted to gain more experiences elsewhere such that they return to Karamoja and apply suitable conservation practices.

This drought has worsened the poverty in the region. Reports from the Eastern Karamoja - the Turkana and Pokot - are not much better. Training of the pastoralists in various ways of lessening the impact of the drought cannot be over-emphasized. It should also be stressed that the Karimojongs have not been trained in harvesting grass when it grows (instead they burn it). They also do not harvest crop residues, nor plant grass, yet this is cattle feed for the dry season.

With the intense and prolonged dry season, cattle will need to be moved in search of pastures. The trekking decreases and finally erodes the capacity of the cattle to maintain a good milk/meat/calve production. The livestock will only be able to cover their survival needs. Additionally, families - mainly women, children, the elderly and sickly - remaining in dry belt villages will not benefit from any milk or blood, which increases their vulnerability to malnutrition. In any case, there is an expected strong move for pastures and water towards the west and that conflicts will increase with neighbouring districts.

In the green belt, especially Labwor, and to some extent Karenga and Napore the food security situation is fine. The Namalu-Nakapiripirit area and perhaps Iriri-Napak, are said to expect at least 50 percent of ordinary crop yield (maize/sorghum). Cassava is very seldom cultivated, yet it is dry spell resistant, and hence has the potential to solve the problem of food insecurity, in a cost effective way. Unfortunately no one has sensitized the Karimojong on this as a practical strategy to allow Karimojong farmers to cultivate cassava. Growing of cassava would also be protection against cattle stepping and thefts.

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Moroto, reports some improvement in pasture and water conditions in Moroto District following rain showers in the region during late July to early August. This provided some relief to livestock in a region that has not received much rainfall in this year’s single rainy season, enabling their access to pastures and water. Nonetheless, as the season progresses and dry conditions persist, hope is fading for improvement in rainfall that could enhance vegetation regeneration. For now, no significant livestock movements or widespread disease outbreaks have been reported and livestock health remains good.

Karamoja’s situation is dramatic, and needs a development strategy so that relief efforts do not continue to hinder development, as has been the case in the past. Some agencies hope a socio-economic strategy will be applied, that is, using relief support to re-settle Karamojongs/Turkana/Pokot in the greenbelt productive fertile areas. Otherwise conflicts with neighbours will continue, even increase in future.

In addition to the above strategy, technical training relevant to the Karamoja potentials, such as water harnessing/fodder conservation/water-soil conservation, animal husbandry, dry season zero-grazing, manure use, alive fence planting (using euphorbia cuttings), food/fodder trees family planting, dams desilting and construction, shallow wells using concrete culverts, and so on.

¹ Affected population figures are of variable accuracy due to rapidly changing situation as well as the varying quality of information sources. Inclusion in this list does not necessarily indicate the population is receiving humanitarian assistance.. Note too that IDP camp populations reflect the population assisted by WFP (does not include unassisted population figures). Abbrev. are Sudanese (Su), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, (Rw), Burundi (Br), Kenyan (Ky).

Note. The population figures are as of end of July 2002. This means that the refugee and IDP figures, are currently not as reflected in the table above. IDPs in Achol Pii for example have all moved out, most have been registered in Kiryadongo and 8000 will be moved to Kyangwali beginning 5th September. Due to the insecurity, there is constant movement of people (new displacement and redisplacement and WFP has a working figure of 520,000 IDPs in northern Uganda) however, no registration of current displacement figures has been undertaken in the north and figures above reflect the pre-insurgence data.

The contents of this Update do not necessarily represent the views of the United Nations. Sources for the Update include Government, UN, NGOs, donors, IOs and news agencies.

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