On 15 June 2003, rebels of the Lord's Resistance
Army (LRA) invaded Katakwi district and caused massive displacement of
the local population. The initial attack began in Alito parish in Obalanga
sub-county and later spread to all the sub-counties in Amuria and Kapelebyong
counties and Abwokodia parish in Usuk County - all in Katakwi district.
Subsequently, the attacks spread into Kaberamaido and Soroti districts
later in the month of June 2003.
Currently, about 200,000 people have
been displaced in Teso (an estimated 150,000 come from Amuria and Kapelebyong
counties in Katakwi district) and about 2,000 children have been abducted
of which 25% have either been rescued or escaped leaving 75% still in the
hands of the rebels. ACT member the Lutheran World Federation -- Uganda
(LWF -- Uganda) reports that the rebels have killed more than 110 people
and caused massive destruction of property in the district and brought
life to a virtual standstill.
The government responded to the June attacks with deployment of a militia force called locally "Arrow Group" (these are volunteer fighters from the old Teso rebel army and the Uganda People's Army, which made peace with the Government in the early 1990's) to support the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) in the fight against the LRA. The "Arrow Group" had several clashes with the rebels in different places and was able to push them to front-line sub-counties of Obalanga, Orungo, Rungatuny and Kapelebyong. Although the security situation stabilised within two weeks, attacks soon resumed on a hit and run basis.
On 26 and 27 July 2003 the District Disaster Management Committee in collaboration with the Civil Society Organisations (including LWF) carried out a comprehensive assessment of the IDPs situation. The assessment revealed that 70% of the newly displaced people had been absorbed into old camps while 30% were assimilated into the villages where they lived with relatives and friends or rent space in the trading centres. The IDPs come from the neighbouring counties of Amuria and Kapelebyong. Altogether, there are close to 150,000 IDPs currently living in different parts of the district, the largest, Obalanga and Amuria camps have populations of 29,700 and 11,432 respectively. The IDPs totally rely on the hosting communities for every bit of their survival. Their presence is stretching the coping mechanisms of the host communities to the full. Food stocks are rapidly becoming depleted and, as the IDPs have no access to their own crops due to insecurity and distance, the hosts have had to start harvesting their crops prematurely in order to meet the increased food needs.
Unless the IDPs are able to access their agricultural fields within the next month, there is a possibility of very serious food insecurity and hunger for the next twelve months.
Other urgent basic needs are; non food items, water and sanitation, medicines, shelter materials, blankets and mosquito nets.
The Lutheran World Federation would like to provide assistance to over 2,000 households of newly displaced people in the counties where they have operational programs. LWF Uganda has just completed implementation of an ACT appeal (AFUG12) program in the Kitakwi district providing emergency water and sanitation services. LWF has indicated that it is in the process of preparing an ACT appeal proposal.