KEY FIGURES
223,449\*
Total number of South Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers registered and active in Uganda as of 12 April 2016.
17,112
Pre-December 2013 caseload
206,337
Post-December 2013 caseload.
23,894
South Sudanese refugees received in Uganda in 2016 alone (as of 31 March)
*note that figures are likely to fluctuate slightly in the coming weeks as the results of the verification exercise in Adjumani are reflected.
Settlement breakdown for the post Dec 2013 SSD influx:
126, 271
Refugees received in Adjumani
22,158
Refugees received in Arua
49,143
Refugees received in Kiryandongo
8,127
Urban refugees received in Kampala
*statistics are provided by the Government of Uganda Office of the Prime Minister
PRIORITIES
The operation is facing a major new emergency and will shortly run out of resources.
The recently opened Maaji III settlement in Adjumani is almost full and a new settlement area needs to be identified to host new arrivals.
HIGHLIGHTS
The number of South Sudanese new arrivals has picked up in April compared to March and February. A total of 4298 individuals were registered in the three receiving districts of Adjumani, Arua and Kiryandongo in this reporting period, an average of 331 people arriving every day, and a notable increase compared to last week’s 3094 individuals and 2,840 reported previously. The new arrivals, the majority of whom are women and children, continue to cite militia activities, particularly in Bor, Twic, Uror and Fangak areas. The operation is facing a major emergency influx and will shortly run out of resources. The first quarter of the year has already seen new arrivals equal to 80% of the initial planning figure for the year. If the current influx continues at this rate, Uganda will receive 120,000 new South Sudan refugees by the end of 2016 (more than three times of the initial planning figure).
In Kiryandongo, UNHCR and OPM began a general verification exercise aimed at identifying the current population of refugees and asylum seekers residing in the settlement and providing them with identification documentation. So far, 8% of the target population, 4,239 individuals (1,279 households), have been verified and issued with documents. The exercise is expected to last until 10th May. Overwhelming numbers of unaccompanied and separated children have been observed, with many claiming that their parents have gone back to South Sudan. Community services teams have established a mechanism of linking unaccompanied and separated children with adult relatives registered in other households.
An EXCOM donor mission, comprised of representatives from Geneva, capitals and Kampala, visited Adjumani between 5th- 8th April in order to gain a deeper understanding of how UNHCR responds to emergency influxes. The team visited Elegu Collection Point, Nyumanzi Transit Centre, Nyumanzi, Baratuku and Maaji Refugee settlements. They visited different facilities which provide services to both the refugees and host communities such as health centres and schools, interacting with both the service providers and beneficiaries. The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Arua and Adjumani local district authorities, UN Agencies and partners briefed the visitors about their areas of intervention, achievements and challenges. The donor representatives called for a balance between emergency response and sustainable development and to strengthen community structures that support vulnerable persons.