Highlights
According to Government of Uganda’s Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) reports, a total of 20,136 refugees have been received in Uganda since November 2014 and 47 per cent of them are children under the age of years. The period 14th – 24 th January 2016 saw the entry of a total of 601 new Burundian refugees compared to 390 refugees in the last week of January 8-13,and 151 in the previous week January 1st -7 th before that showing an increase in trends.
A total of eight community dialogue meetings involving 172 child protection committee (CPC) members were held in January. The CPCS were trained in issues related to violence against children, gender based violence, children’s rights and child protection in general.
The Six Early Childhood Centers (ECDs) constructed in primary schools hosting the majority of Burundian Refugees are almost finalized and will be handed over to the OPM/UNHCR in February before the first term begins.
Over 296 health workers were trained in Reach Every Child (RED) Micro planning, a strategy of the Ministry of Health to ensure that all children under five in all locations, including refugee settlements, are able to access and receive immunization services, based on the catchment area and the service out posts.
Some 22,376 children were immunized in the recently concluded National house to house polio immunization campaign in the Nakivale Refugee settlement, with special focus on the Burundian new arrivals in the settlements.
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
Date: 7th February, 2016
Burundian Refugees in Uganda
20, 136
#of Burundian refugees in Uganda since November 2014 (OPM, January 28,2016)
9, 464
#of Burundian refugee children under the age of 18 (OPM, January 28, 2016)
14, 095
#of Burundian women and children affected (OPM, January 28, 2016)
Humanitarian Funding Requirements
US$14.4 mill
Funding Gap
93%
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The Government of Uganda’s OPM reports indicate an increase of daily new arrivals of Burundian refugees.A total of 20, 136 refugees have arrived in Uganda since November 2014 as of January 28, 2016 and the majority are settled in Nakivale, followed by Kyaka 11, Oruchinga, Kisoro and Kampala respectively. The main reason for fleeing stated is the continued insecurity caused by renewed fighting between Government forces and armed groups, as well as a desire to be reunited with family members. New arrivals are predominantly fleeing from the Burundian capital Bujumbura and its surrounding areas.
As the steady influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to increase in Nakivale, putting pressure on the services at the settlement, shared by the vast majority of Burundians.A total of 214,279 Congolese refugees and asylum-seekers have sought safety, protection and assistance in Uganda as at 19 January 2016. Since the start of 2016, 849 Congolese people have fled to Uganda. They have been initially hosted at the Nyakabande Transit Centre in Kisoro, South-West Uganda, having entered the country through the Nteko, Masisi, Rutshuru, Jomba, Ntamugenga, Kinyandoni, Gisigari, Rugari and Giseguru border entry points. The number of new arrivals is in increase from the 333 individuals who arrived in Uganda in the last two weeks of December last year. The new arrivals are fleeing from the eastern part of DRC, and are citing the looting of properties, abduction of civilians by armed groups and their desire to join family members, as their reasons for asylum seeking. OPM and partners have prioritized relocation of new arrivals to avoid overcrowding at the Transit Centres. As such, following the relocation of 974 individuals (423 HH) to the settlements, the total population at Nyakabande Transit Center is 225 individuals.
According to UNHCR reports, high ratio of children to care givers (one teacher to 123 children) at the early childhood development (ECD) center is affecting the quality of teaching. This ratio falls significantly short of the recommended government standard of one teacher to 25 children. The children are not grouped according to age but are mixed, which makes learning slower for some of them. There is also no feeding arrangement for children under ECD leading to children coming late and leaving early because there is no way of relieving their hunger.
Parents have been encouraged to contribute to children’s feeding during the school period but this has not been successful. Windle Trust Uganda is continuing with community sensitizations for parents to contribute towards feeding of their children. Another gap is inadequate desks especially in the existing primary schools of Nakivale, Kabazana, Kashojwa and Nyarugugu where ECD sections have been established and also considering increased enrollment. Schools and ECD centers remain on break up to end February 2106 post the Presidential/parliamentary elections. There is need to erect temporary structures in all the Burundian villages to support health outreach programmes and reduce the distance of accessing health care. In Nakivale Health Centre, there is need to recruit two mid wives to support reproductive health and counseling and stock testing kits to support antenatal mothers.