Re-location of Kenyan refugees to Mulanda Transit Centre continues. As of January 31, 2008, 1, 184 refugees had been transferred to Mulanda by UNHCR. The refugees at Mulanda are from Busia, Manafwa and Malaba points.

Several officials from Government/OPM, UNHCR, URCS, UNOCHA, Tororo district authorities, His Highness Adola and cabinet this week visited and addressed refugees at the transit camp.

The number of refugees in Kapchorwa is 5, 221 while in Bukwo is 1, 301. These are figures provided by the district.

b) Red Cross Actions

- URCS takes over management of the transit camp.

- Red Cross volunteers help UNHCR register new arrivals.

- URCS with ICRC working on tracing issues.

- Red Cross continues to provide NFIs to refugees at the camp including new entrants.

- URCS to work on the improvement of sanitation facilities.

- A mobile phone with airtime provided to refugees for communication purposes with their families in Kenya.

- Uganda Red Cross to link up with Kenya Red Cross to set up hotline at Mulanda and Headquarters in Kampala.

c) Challenges

- More food needed at the camp.

- Social services lacking at the site. There is need to e- plore special needs of the refugees.

- Health centres do not have enough capacity to cater for the increasing number of refugees.

- Theft of NFIs among refugees.

- Need to train more Red Cross volunteers to engage in the operation.

- Drinking within the camp

d) Coordination/other players

- UNICEF continues water tracking and provision in the camp.

- UNHCR continues to re-locate refugees willing to move to Mulanda.

- Salvation Army provided 200 bags of Charcoal.

- Save the Children continues with the Early Childhood Development Education Program for all school age children in Mulanda.

- Plan International assisting in medical referral of patients to health centres in Tororo.

-  TASO has come in to run a clinic of providing ARVs to patients in Mulanda. This week, they carried awareness to People Living with HIV/AIDS in the camp before the clinic starts running.

Contacts

For further information about this operation please contact:

1.Mr. Michael Nataka, Acting Secretary General; email: natakam@redcrossug.org; Telephone:+256-414-258701/2,

+256-031-2606625/6/7; +256-772-401738; Fa-  +256-414-258184 2.Mr. Andrew Omale, Programme Officer-Disaster Response, Disaster Management Department; Email: aomale@redcrossug.org; +256-0392-840942; +256-772-586398

3. Ms. Catherine Ntabadde, Communication/Public Relations Officer; email: cntabadde@redcrossug.org; telephone : +256-414-258701/2, +256-772-629567, +256-414-258184 www.redcrossug.org