All not gloom as refugees flood West Nile

Health care. Some refugees and locals seek medical services at Ocea Health Centre II in Rhino Camp Sub-county, Arua District recently. PHOTO BY CLEMENT ALUMA.

What you need to know:

  • In January, Yumbe officials suspended construction works in several camps within the district, citing shoddy works and lack of approval by the physical planning committee of the local government.
  • Police in Moyo District has so far registered six cases of shootings since October last year among refugees, with the latest involving a South Sudanese spy operative within the refugee hosting areas in the district.

Arua. When violence broke out in South Sudan three years ago, the neighbouring districts – in Uganda – were always going to suffer the shocks. And in the past one year, there has been an influx of refugees fleeing the heat back at home into West Nile districts.
To the hosting communities, the influx was feared to trigger a crisis in service delivery and shortage of basic needs. But the situation on ground is one mixed bag of sorts. On one hand is a smile over the availability of basic needs and on the other a gloom over the increasing cases of abductions and killings by gunmen from South Sudan.
Uganda Red Cross estimates that the number of refugees that have crossed into Uganda could have reached 700,000, according to recent statistics.

A visit by this newspaper to the hosting communities found out that attention has moved away from the local governments to the agencies supporting refugee interests and Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) for employment and social services.
In November last year, Yumbe District Council passed a resolution compelling all aid agencies in the district to give priority to hosting communities when it comes to employment.
But the agencies are emphasising merit and competence over nativism for employment opportunities.
There are more than 34 aid agencies said to be operating in the refugee settlement areas across West Nile region and each employs an average of 20 people both in skilled and unskilled labour.
The Arua District chief administrative officer, Mr Ismail Ocheger, says although the influx of the refugees has caused a serious and significant impact on the resources and services, the refugee agencies have come in handy.

He adds that the shortages in funding of health centres, which are located within the refugee hosting areas, have been addressed by the UNHCR and other aid agencies, for instance by stocking of drugs and adding manpower to cover the gap.
“We have had some non-governmental organisations and partners coming in to supplement, especially in the area of roads, there have been schools constructed which are helping both the refugees and hosting communities, they have also equipped our health centres and we are seeing that without the refugees, we would not have achieved this,” he says.

Mr Ocheger also says the refugee agencies are supplying water to refugees and hosting communities during the drought, a thing that the district, with a meagre budget of Shs25 billion, would not have done.
Mr Pontius Amatre, the officer-in-charge of Yoyo Health Centre III in Kululu Sub-county in Yumbe District, says the drastic surge in the number of refugees at the health centre had affected the health service delivery to the local population.
“We used to receive 60 to 70 patients per week but now, we are receiving 200 to 300 per week. However, our drug supplies have been very minimal but now with the influx of refugees, we have adequate supplies, thanks to the refugee agencies.

The dark side
However, the developments in the camps have not gone without issues.
In January, Yumbe officials suspended construction works in several camps within the district, citing shoddy works and lack of approval by the physical planning committee of the local government.
“The district and the host communities do not have any problem but our problem is with the OPM in the area of coordination. Location of projects should be with the involvement of the district authorities,” Mr Amatre said.
The influx of refugees has also posed a security risk to both the refugees and the hosting communities as some of the refugees reportedly entered Uganda with firearms.

The north western region police commander, Mr Michael Nambafu, recently warned that “the porous border poses a serious security risk as some refugees dodge the official entry points where they are supposed to be checked and registered”.
Police in Moyo District has so far registered six cases of shootings since October last year among refugees, with the latest involving a South Sudanese spy operative within the refugee hosting areas in the district.
The Arua District chairperson, Mr Sam Wadri Nyakua, urged the government and aid agencies to do more as numbers surge.