Thousands of families living in the cramped and squalid conditions of northern Uganda's IDP camps this week received urgently needed humanitarian aid following WER's latest shipment to the region.
Containers of clothes, tents, medicines and food were distributed by WER's local partner agency, All Nations Christian Care (ANCC), to families living in IDP camps in Lira district, where more than half a million people have been driven from their homes by ongoing rebel activity in the region.
WER has been working in close partnership with ANCC for the past four years to respond to the urgent needs of the local population who continue to suffer at the hands of the Lord's Resistance Army. WER is one of the few agencies actively working in Lira district, despite the humanitarian crisis which has been unfolding in the region over the last two decades. Alex Haxton, WER UK Director of Operations, explains,
"Our policy of working through local partners, who are on the ground and who have a real understanding of the issues at grassroots levels, means that we are often able to reach those in great need in areas where other aid agencies may fear to go. Ongoing insecurity in northern Uganda is preventing some agencies from delivering aid to the region, yet this is precisely when the need for aid agencies to respond is greatest. Working with local partner agencies in northern Uganda means that WER support is reaching the camps quickly and efficiently. The situation is northern Uganda is a humanitarian crisis which needs immediate action and we can't afford to delay."
The situation in the IDP camps in Lira district has become increasingly critical over the last five years as the LRA have intensified their attacks on the population. The majority of the population in the camps are entirely dependant on humanitarian aid for their survival. With not enough food reaching the camps, malnourishment is widespread, particularly amongst children. Water and sanitation conditions in the camps are also critical and the death of children due to water borne diseases has been reported in most of the camps.
Last month WER launched a mobile dental clinic which is providing free dental treatment to people living in IDP camps in Lira district. With a population of over 760,000 people, the district previously had only one dental unit, located in Lira town. This mobile dental clinic is the first of its kind in northern Uganda and is enabling large numbers of people who would otherwise be unable to afford dental care to gain access to quality oral health care.