The
Ugandan government finds itself in a difficult position as it struggles to meet
the humanitarian needs of over 60,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) who are fleeing heavy fighting between DRC’s national army (FARDC)
and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group.
Mohammed
Adar, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative
in the country admits that humanitarian agencies and the government have been
overwhelmed by the refugees’ arrival. “The massive arrivals of the refugees
have overwhelmed us considering the limited preparations to provide humanitarian
services,” he explained.
 |
| The pursuit of peace: Congolese refugees seeking solace in Uganda in large numbers (photo courtesy of www.in2eastafrica.net) |
Bundibugyo,
a town in the western part of Uganda, has bore the brunt of this influx of refugees who have been housed in various primary schools in the area. The
government has been engaged in frantic efforts to erect shelter, water and
sanitation facilities as part of the emergency response.
Mr.
Adar appealed for financial assistance from the international community and
other donors because the operating budget of UNHCR is sufficient. “We need
financial help from the international community to cope with this sudden surge
in refugees,” he stated.
Figures
from UNHCR indicate that Uganda hosts more
than 190,000 refugees whereas over 20,000 are currently seeking asylum. The flare
of violence in DRC will undoubtedly heighten the humanitarian crisis for the
East African state as more people cross over into the country.
Last week, UNHCR announced that more refugees were crossing into
Uganda through Kisoro while fleeing battles between the M23 rebel group and
government forces.
0 comments:
Post a Comment