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Kenyan refugees in Uganda OCHA
Situation Report No. 8
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs/OCHA
15 Feb 2008
The information contained in this report has been gathered by
the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
from sources including the Government of Uganda, UN agencies,
non-governmental organizations and the International Federation of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
HIGHLIGHTS
.. 1,787 REFUGEES HAVE REGISTERED AT MULANDA TRANSIT CENTRE
.. WFP AND UNHCR REPORT IMPACT FROM KENYA CRISIS ON OPERATIONS IN
UGANDA AND REGION
Situation Overview
1. Over the past week, the situation in Kenya has remained calmed,
albeit tense. On 14 February, media reported that the Government
and opposition, under the mediation effort led by former United
Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, had agreed to write a new
constitution within one year, as well as a widerange of other
issues. The mediation, which had continued at a secret location
for most of the week, has now suspended until 18 February.
2. Since the outbreak of the violence in the wake of the 27
December 2007 presidential and parliamentary elections, more than
1,000 people have been killed and some 600,000 have been displaced,
according to the Kenyan Red Cross Society. At least 12,000 of the
displaced have crossed into Uganda, according to the Government of
Uganda.
3. The Government of Kenya dispatched the Minister for Special
Programmes to visit the refugees at the Mulanda transit site. The
Minister was accompanied on her 11 February visit by the Kenyan
High Commissioner to Uganda. During their meeting with refugee
leaders and camp residents, the delegation encouraged the Kenyans
to return home, but most refugees have expressed that the
situation in Kenya did not warrant a return at this juncture.
4. On 13 February, a delegation of Uganda Members of Parliament (MPs),
led by the Tororo MP, visited the transit centre. They promised to
present concerns raised during the visit to the Parliament in
order to mobilize additional support and assistance.
5. New arrivals continue to be registered at the various border
points, including at Tororo (Malaba), Manafwa and Busia districts.
In recent days, the Border Internal Security Officer (BISO) has
confirmed that the group of internally displaced Kenyans that had
been sheltering at the Busia (Kenya) police station have begun to
make their way into Uganda, after several weeks of limited
humanitarian assistance.
6. Most Kenyans in Uganda remain in host communities, living with
family or friends or on their own resources. In addition to the
continued tense atmosphere in Kenya in the wait for the results of
the Annan-led mediation, the continued closure of Kenyan IDP camps
has been cited as a cause for the increase in new arrivals into
Uganda.
7. Assistance for the refugees continues to be centralized at the
Mulanda transit site, where 1,787 refugees had registered as of 14
February. Approximately 45 per cent of the registered refugees are
children. The transit centre is managed by the United Nations
Refugee Agency, UNHCR and Tororo District Authorities, in
partnership with the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), with the
support of other humanitarian agencies.
8. The Transit Centre was established to offer a more secure
environment for the provision of humanitarian aid to the refugees
in the short term. In the longer term, the refugees will be
offered the possibility of being relocated to existing refugee
settlements in western Uganda, although the exact timeline for the
transfer has yet to be clarified.
9. The NGO Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) has
undertaken a five-day assessment at Mulanda (11 to 15 February),
at the request of the UNHCR. The organization’s initial findings
indicate that the refugees have expressed anxiety and uncertainty
over the planned relocation to refugee settlements further inland
and want confirmation of the date and location for the transfer to
the new site.
10. To enhance security, the refugees, in conjunction with Tororo
District Authorities and the UNHCR, have agreed to issues travel
passes to those temporarily leaving the Transit Centre. The
refugees continue to enjoy freedom of movement, although they have
been advised to avoid movements after 2000 hours.
11. From 8 to 10 February, United Nations Emergency Relief
Coordinator John Holmes was on mission in Kenya. During his
mission, he met with various officials in the Government and
opposition. Mr. Holmes visited the Northern Rift Valley towns of
Nakuru and Molo, as well as two IDP camps near Nairobi, in order
to assess the humanitarian situation and speak directly to those
displaced by the crisis.
Humanitarian Response
12. The following agencies continue to provide assistance at the
Mulanda Transit Centre: UNHCR (lead agency for the response), URCS,
Plan International, The Salvation Army, World Vision, WFP, UNICEF,
Save the Children, TASO and TPO.
Food Security
13. The World Food Programme (WFP) conducted an assessment of food
stocks at the transit site this week; food rations were
distributed on behalf of WFP by the Red Cross on 11 and12 February.
14. Food shortages continue to be reported among host communities
in Manafwa District, with a number of trading centres affected.
The Salvation Army had distributed a one-month ration to 200 of
500 targeted host families, as well as to police guards at the
Mulanda transit site. The rations included 24 kilogrammes (kg) of
maize flour, 10 kg of beans, one kg of salt and three litres of
oil per household. Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFIs)
15. All new entrants continue to receive NFI kits upon arrival at
the transit centre.
16. The Salvation Army has agreed to continue providing charcoal
at Mulanda for the next two weeks, in partnership with the URCS.
17. A group of Kenyan students from Busoga University in Uganda
visited the Mulanda transit site on 14 February and donated four
bales of second-hand clothes and five bags of maize for the
refugees. Water, Sanitation and Health
18. The URCS has constructed an additional five pit latrines at
Mulanda and is roofing all existing pit latrines.
19. The NGO World Vision has constructed two additional bathing
shelters, with support from the refugees.
Education
20. The number of children registered for Save the Children’s
education programme has risen to 360 (193 boys and 167 girls),
while the early childhood development (ECD) daily attendance
stands at 109 children (46 boys and 63 girls), up from 76 last
week. 11 ECD and Safe Space facilitators have been trained and are
working with the children.
21. Two additional classrooms have been secured to cater for the
increased numbers. However, there is an urgent need for scholastic
materials and school furniture.
Health, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS
22. Refugees’ access to health care at the Health Centre IV at
Mulanda remains inadequate according to Save the Children.
Refugees continue to be referred to the St. Anthony Hospital in
Tororo 10 kilometres (km) away, with transport assisted by Plan
International.
23. Six First Aid kits were procured and provided to the Safe
Spaces by Save the Children.
24. The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) is providing medical and
counselling services to HIV positive refugees, as well as a basic
care package containing ordinary water vessels and water guards
for 100 refugees. Five cartons of condoms have been distributed to
camp peer educators.
Protection
25. TPO’s initial findings recommend the mainstreaming of
psychosocial support and counselling into existing community-based
structure and aid programmes, including the child protection,
hygiene and sanitation, education and health committees already
established.
26. The number of separated children has risen to 32, according to
Save the Children. The emergency response team has compiled a
matrix on the separated children to be shared with other agencies
to facilitate the family tracing and reunification. A six-day
training for Child Protection Committee members has also begun.
27. The UNHCR is running buses twice daily from the main border
points to the Mulanda transit centre to provide transportation for
any Kenyans wishing to transfer to the refugee site. UNHCR has
provided atent for overnight shelter at the Malaba and Busia
border points for refugees arriving after 1600 hours. However, no
reception centre has been officially established in Busia district.
Concerns have also been expressed that facilities available at the
Malaba way station are inadequate to needs. There is no sanitation
facility, no food stocks and no mattresses, only tarpaulins laid
across the floor.
28. Beyond the immediate need to provide assistance for the
refugees in Uganda, the continuing crisis in Kenya has had an
impact on humanitarian operations in the country and region.
29. Across the board, agencies have been affected by higher fuel
prices, with some moving to limit nonessential travel. Fuel
shortages and elevated prices continue to be reported across
Uganda, which has no strategic fuel reserve, although not to the
levels reached during the first weeks of January. WFP notes that
its own reserve is insufficient to supply field operations within
Uganda and throughout the region, for which Uganda is the main hub
for the strategic fleet. The agency has already taken action to
double its fuel reserve to a three-month supply.
Regional Impact
28. Beyond the immediate need to provide assistance for the
refugees in Uganda, the continuing crisis in Kenya has had an
impact on humanitarian operations in the country and region.
29. Across the board, agencies have been affected by higher fuel
prices, with some moving to limit nonessential travel. Fuel
shortages and elevated prices continue to be reported across
Uganda, which has no strategic fuel reserve, although not to the
levels reached during the first weeks of January. WFP notes that
its own reserve is insufficient to supply field operations within
Uganda and throughout the region, for which Uganda is the main hub
for the strategic fleet. The agency has already taken action to
double its fuel reserve to a three-month supply.
30. WFP also notes that, while 50 per cent of Uganda supplies are
procured locally, Mombasa is the strategic point of entry for much
of the in-kind assistance received from major donors such as the
United States, Japan and others. The agency is assessing alternate
routes into the region, including via Lake Victoria and the port
at Dar es Salaam, but these moves would have consequences on the
cost of food delivery for relief operations in Sudan, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, as well as Uganda.
The most cost effective solution remains the Mombasa port.
31. Meanwhile, UNHCR notes that the Enyau Bridge, which was to be
built in order to facilitate the repatriation of Sudanese refugees
as part of the Development Assistance for Refugee Hosting Areas
(DAR) programme in Adjumani District has been delayed. Steel for
the bridge was originally purchased in Dubai and shipped to Kenya
for forwarding. Following a period of several weeks in which it
was stuck in Mombasa, the shipment has now been rerouted via
Tanzania.
32. Furthermore, all returnees to South Sudan receive NFI packages,
the contents of which are normally purchased in Kenya. Due to the
instability, new suppliers are being looked for in Uganda, but if
not found shortly, a delay in procurement will follow exhaustion
of the current stock.
Coordination
33. The humanitarian community in Uganda has agreed jointly to
support the Government’s response to the situation of the Kenyan
refugees, with inter-agency operational coordination to be led by
the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, subsequent to the
granting of prima facie status to the Kenyans in Uganda.
34. The draft contingency plan for hosting up to 50,000 Kenyan
refugees was discussed by partners on 12 February.
35. All agencies working at Mulanda have agreed to submit weekly
activity schedules to the camp managers to avoid operation overlap.
36. Weekly coordination meetings are held on Friday at 1800 hours
in Tororo District with the participation of humanitarian agencies
and District Authorities.
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