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Uganda + 2 more

UNICEF Uganda Humanitarian Situation Report - February 2018

Attachments

Highlights

• As of 23 February, 2018 Uganda is home to 251,730 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who have fled inter- ethnic violence from the Ituri region. Over 45,000 have arrived in Uganda since 1 January 2018.

• The Ministry of Health has confirmed a cholera outbreak in the Kyangwali and Kyaka II DRC refugee settlements in Hoima and Kyegegwa Districts, respectively. Thirty-six per cent of the cases are children under five years. The vast majority of cases are new arrivals via Lake Albert. In response to the cholera outbreak, UNICEF has provided three diarrhea kits, 68 cartons of water purification tablets, 600 boxes of laundry soap, 2,200 litres of Effective Micro Organism (EMO), 120 tarpaulin rolls and 1 solar chlorine generator to provide chlorine for inpatient care.

• Following recent allegations of discrepancies of figures of refugees hosted in Uganda, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), UNHCR and WFP are conducting independent investigations into the allegations.

• UNICEF’s Humanitarian Appeal for Children is 76 per cent unfunded and therefore we will not be able to respond to the increasing needs of children and women experiencing emergency situations without additional funding.

Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs

Refugees: According to field reports, the number of South Sudanese refugees arriving in West Nile has remained low with a daily average of 142 persons per day; however, there was a slight increase in the second week of February with 992 refugees registered compared to 851 in the first week. Uganda is host to 1,045,236 South Sudanese refugees as of February 2016, as per UNHCR and OPM reports. All new arrivals continue to be settled in Omugo settlement in Rhino camp, Arua District. Most of the refugees from South Sudan are fleeing due to fear of being caught up in ongoing fighting between government soldiers and opposing forces. Hunger and lack of social services, notably education and health services, are other reasons refugees are citing for fleeing South Sudan.

According to UNHCR and OPM reports, the cumulative arrivals rate amongst DRC refugees has slightly decreased during February with a daily average influx 291 individuals compared to 343 individuals in the last week of January. 28,397 individuals out of 45,148 arrivals since 1st January 2018 arrived from the Ituri region and another 16,751 from North Kivu.

Refugees from Ituri continue to report fleeing inter-ethnic violence in the Djugu territory, while those arriving from North Kivu are reportedly escaping violence and human rights violations and abuse committed by various armed groups, incuding the mai mai militia. In Kyangwali, more refugees continue to arrive and are being settled in Maratatu settlement. 54 percent of all new Congolese refugees are children. All new arrivals have been granted prima facie status and biometric registration is on-going.
Protection partners have so far identified 430 unaccompanied children and 307 separated children. Of them 419 unaccompanied children were placed in foster care and all separated children referred for family reunification.