Uganda: Emergency Update on the South Sudan Refugee Situation - Inter-Agency Weekly | 25th – 31st January 2017

KEY FIGURES

Daily arrival figures from July 2016 are based on manual emergency registration or head-counts/wrist-banding. Confirmed figures will be available as the new arrivals undergo biometric registration. Figures prior to July are from the Government’s Refugee Information Management System (RIMS).

24,277 Number of new arrivals between 25th and 31st of January 2017

3,468 Daily average of new arrivals between 25th and 31st of January 2017

698,030 Total number of South Sudanese refugees in Uganda

HIGHLIGHTS

• The rate of new arrivals in to Uganda has increased, with a total of 24,277 South Sudanese refugees being received in Uganda between the 25th and 31st January. The influx peaked for the week on the 28th January, when more than 4,500 refugees were received. The average daily rate of new arrivals for the week was 3,468.

• According to reports from refugees, the increased influx is partly attributable to an escalation in violence between armed forces in the areas around Kajo-Keji. Refugees report having been instructed to leave the area, skirmishes between armed groups, lootings, killing of civilians and sexual assaults of women and girls. Refugees have indicated they expect more to flee from the area in the days ahead.

• New arrivals continue to be taken to Palorinya settlement in Moyo district, which is now home to 71,766 South Sudanese refugees, and is close to reaching its hosting capacity. Preparations are underway to open a new settlement in light of the ongoing mass influx.

• Refugees continue to use a number of informal border crossing points to enter Uganda as armed groups are preventing the use of major roads, forcing refugees to travel through the bush, often without access to food and water. Many are arriving tired and hungry and have been travelling for many days.

• Around 375 refugees crossed in to Uganda at Lamwo district, where they were forced to take temporary shelter at a nearby marketplace. In light of the increasing use of this border point by refugees, relocations from Lamwo will now take place daily. The availability of key items such as blankets and kitchen sets to Lamwo will be increased in order to ensure adequate provision to new arrivals.

• On 27th January, the UK High Commissioner to Uganda Peter West visited Adjumani district. The High Commissioner spoke with refugees benefiting from livelihood support, witnessed a cash distribution and spoke with partners on some of the key challenges facing the operation. The High Commissioner expressed his support for livelihood projects for their role in helping refugees to develop their own income streams and become independent.