Highlights
As of 28th January, 2016, UNICEF and partners have supported over 180,585 Sudanese in Uganda since the influx began in mid-December 2013. The majority of South Sudan Refugees are hosted in Adjumani, Arua, Kiryandongo and Kampala with an arrival trend of 50 individuals per day in the first three days of January 2016 then shot up peaking on January 7-8 with over 700 daily arrivals.
Over 10,921 children below five years of age have been treated in Outpatient Therapeutic Centres and 1,880 in Inpatient Therapeutic Centres since 2013.
A cumulative total of 64,316 children have been reached (36,002 Males and 28,314 Females) with peace building activities amongst the refugee children in partnership with War Child Canada and World Vision International.
Hygiene promotion through home visits in the three refugee hosting districts, reached a cumulative total of 3,553 households in Arua, 2,908 in Kiryandongo and 5,215 in Adjumani.
The child National house to house Polio vaccination campaign was conducted in January to supplement routine immunization services with coverage of 100 per cent against the target.
Refugees & Asylum Seekers in Uganda
117,380
# of South Sudanese children affected
(OPM January 28, 2016)
180,585
# of affected South Sudanese people
(OPM January 28, 2016)
155,303
# of affected South Sudanese women & children
(OPM January 28, 2016)
514,810
# of refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda
(OPM January 25, 2016)
UNICEF Appeal 2016
US $13.4 million funding gap
The funding gap on the UNICEF 2016 appeal is US$13.4 million needed to address critical needs for refugees from South Sudan, DRC and Burundi, disease outbreaks and other natural hazards such as floods and landslides.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
According to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and UNHCR reports, the month of January 2016 saw a significant rise in the number of new arrivals from South Sudan as the political, social and economic situation in South Sudan continues to worsen due to the after effects of the protracted war. More than twice the number of refugees expected in a month arrived in Uganda in January 2016. As at 19th January, 2016, a total of 5,264 refugees had arrived from South Sudan mainly through Elegu border point, Arua and Kiryandongo (since January 1, 2016). The average arrival rate is 431 individuals per day since the year begun. The daily influx in Adjumani ranges from 50 to 300 while in Kiryandongo daily influx ranges from 70 to 200 individual, 60 per cent being children.
Major reasons for the influx as mentioned by refugees include drought, hunger, devaluation of the pound by 16 per cent causing high inflation which has led to high cost of living, thus forcing some of the South Sudanese that were internally displaced persons to seek asylum in Uganda. Following the increase in influx, OPM and Partners in Adjumani conducted an assessment of a new settlement to be opened that will support at least 15,000 refugees, while the government continues to secure more land. The majority of new arrivals are Madi from Central (Juba), Eastern and western (Maridi) Equatorial. Reports have indicated the refugees have been harassed by army men, especially at night. Other people come from Jonglei, Yei, Unity and Upper Nile states.
In Adjumani, Kiryandongo and Arua, physical registration is taking place at the transit centers and individuals are given nonfood items before being taken to settlements for land allocation. To avoid congestion, relocation in Adjumani is done twice a week. Most people have been settled in Maaji while a few were picked up by their families settling in other settlements in Adjumani. 431 new arrivals from Nyumanzi Transit Centre to Maaji settlement. As of January 11, 2016, there were 3,873 new arrivals at Nyumanzi Transit Centre.
While the operation in Northern Uganda is well set-up to manage a steady flow in arrivals, such large daily numbers require extra-ordinary measures. The transit centres are at their limits. Nyumanzi Transit Center can accommodate 3,000 persons but can be stretched to 5,000 individuals in a worst case scenario while Maaji Settlement (Adjumani) can take another 10,000 refugees. Within the overall refugee response, there are still gaps in health, nutrition, education, child protection and WASH services that require immediate support to keep affected children alive and thriving, safe and learning.