Bulecheke Camp Situation
Much of the surviving population in Nametsi as well as thirteen other surrounding at risk villages were resettled to nearby Bulecheke Camp. Our assessment of Bulecheke Camp was limited to key informant interviews because Makerere University recently completed a larger evaluation of the camp population and living conditions. The overcrowded camp was originally planned as a temporary settlement for a population of 4,000; however, the current camp population exceeds 8,170, more than double the planned capacity. The camp was scheduled to be closed in May 2010, however, identifying permanent resettlement options for the population has been problematic and the camp remains open without an anticipated closure date. As a result of the planned camp closure, many UN agencies and international NGOs phased out of the camp. Currently the Red Cross is the lead agency in the camp and food rations are provided by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM); Transcultural Pyschosocial Organization (TPO) has remained in the camp to address psychosocial needs.
Because the camp is overcrowded, new residents are not allowed into the camp and populations in high risk villages have no resettlement options. Additional landslides have occurred as recently as June, and new cracks and scarps continue developing in the ground above the neighboring villages such as Murwerwe, which suggests a need for temporary resettlement options for populations that remain in high risk landslide areas.