Attachments
A. SITUATION ANALYSIS
Description of the crisis
The situation in DRC remains unpredictable with reports of continued fighting between the rebels and the Government forces since 28 March 2022. This fighting happening in DRC northern Kivu area continues to displace people into Uganda through three border points of Kisoro, Bundibugyo, and Kasese with most of the crossings happening in the Kasoro and Bundibugyo districts. There are established refugee hosting/transit centres in the three districts designed to accommodate refugees for a few days before relocating them to settlement centres, however, four months into the fighting, thousands of refugees are still hosted in the transit centres. Particularly, the holding capacity at Nyakabande transit centre, Kisoro district, is overstretched by over 65 percent. Its initial capacity was 30,000 people but the center currently hosts 46,173 individuals while Bubukwanga transit centre, Bundibugyo district has 1,316 individuals (449 households).
Despite efforts by the office of the Uganda Prime Minister (OPM) and UNHCR to have refugees camping near the borders moved to transit centers and onward relocation to Nakivale settlement, this has not yielded much, therefore, leaving the host communities to compete with refugees over the limited essential and social services like water, health, food, and sanitation. The refugees want to camp near the border so that they can return to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to check on their homes, and farms and pick food. However, this is not only a security threat to the community members but also poses a health threat because many of them mix up with Ugandans without being screened for Ebola and Covid-19, among many other diseases. Ugandans in the border communities have also complained of theft of their valuables by suspected refugees. Traders have also complained that their businesses have been affected by the Congolese refugees who opted to camp at their shop verandas.
The border between Uganda and DRC in Kisoro at Bunagana remains closed and still under the control of the rebels. However, the refugees are allowed to cross to Congo to collect food items and look after their farms. By the time of this update, an ultimatum given by District Authorities, Security Organs, and OPM for 1 September 2022 for all the refugees in Bunagana town to be transferred to the holding center or to the settlement camp or return to DRC had taken effect and buses had started relocating them to the transit centres.
Bundibugyo is currently hosting refugees who came in and refused to be evacuated to the transit center and opted to stay with the host communities citing various reasons that are not favorable for them at the holding and settlement camps. From the latest assessments conducted by URCS and DDMC (District Disaster Management Committee), there are 29,243 refugees recorded to be living within Busunga, Bundingoma, Sindila, Kisuba, and Nyahuka sub-counties inside Bundibugyo District.
With the confirmation of the Ebola case in northern Kivu, closer to Uganda’s border to the West, the disease can easily spread to the districts neighboring DRC due to cross-border movements. The authorities have however called for screening of all persons crossing into Uganda from DRC. URCS will increase its surveillance and risk communication at the border points as they encourage community members to report any suspected case. URCS has commenced rumor tracking where all suspected cases are reported by the community members and recorded, and a notification mechanism to the established MoH medical team for follow-up and verification.