OCHA Situation Report
Volume V, Issue 4
Uganda
7 May 2003


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

World Vision loses staff member

UN-OCHA joins other humanitarian agencies in expressing our sorrow and
heartfelt condolences to World Vision International (WVI) and the bereaved
familyof late Davis Chelangat, the World Vision staff who was killed in an
ambush on, Wednesday, 30th April 2003, by unknown gunmen suspected to be
Karimojong warriors.

Late Davis Chelangat and other WVI staff were returning from a peace
mission to reconcile cattle rustling pastoralist communities along the
Uganda-Kenya border when their vehicle ran into that fatal ambush.

Following this unfortunate incident, WVI has suspended its relief
operations in the Karamoja region until facts of the incident are
established and safety assurances received from the Ugandan government.  
A WVI team has visited the location where the incident took place, in
order to establish the circumstances under which the aid worker was
killed.

Echoing the UN Secretary General's words, Davis' tragic death - as with
the death of scores of other humanitarian workers while on duty -
underscores the dangers facing humanitarian workers, whose principles of
humanity, neutrality and impartiality have once again been so wilfully
flouted.


Delayed rains spell doom for Karamoja

WFP reports that rains throughout Karamoja began late - only in April.
This means that prospects for a July 2003 harvest in the region are
questionable.  To address the severe hunger crisis in Karamoja region, WFP
will increase emergency food assistance in from 1000 tonnes to 3000 tonnes
with effect from May.

The District Director of Health Services (DDHS) conducted a rapid
nutrition surveillance survey in Moroto and Kotido in April.  Results
indicate a global malnutrition rate for children under five years of age,
of over 14% in Moroto and 22% in Kotido.  Currently, a complete nutrition
surveillance survey is being conducted in the region - Moroto, Kotido and
Nakapiripirit - by Ministry of Health (MoH), WFP and UNICEF.  Results will
be available at the end of May.


NORTHERN UGANDA

Caritas vehicle ambushed

In the late afternoon of Wednesday, April 2, 2003, a clearly marked
Caritas vehicle was ambushed by suspected LRA rebels, on the way from
Patongo to Kalongo in Pader District. However, the Uganda People's Defence
Force (UPDF) acted quickly, and the two employees in the vehicle survived
with minor injuries and were rushed to Kalongo Hospital for treatment

This is the second attack on a Caritas staff/institution within ten weeks.
In late January, the Reception Center in Pajule/Pader District was
attacked and two children killed by the LRA rebels. This attack/ambush is
just one of many incidents that are indicative of a very fluid security
situation in the area, and a constant reminder that humanitarian workers
trying to ease the suffering of the people in Acholiland continue to face
dangerous challenges.


Ceasefire terminated

Despite reports from Gulu that, on 29th March, Archbishop Odama and Rwot
Acana delivered a written LRA declaration of ceasefire to the Presidential
Peace Team (PPT) in front of journalists, and to which the PPT replied,
the peace process in northern Uganda has remained elusive.  On 18th April,
President Yoweri Museveni officially terminated the limited ceasefire
declaration that was offered to the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)
insurgents starting from10th March 2003. After an emergency meeting in
Gulu, with senior army commanders and the Presidential Peace Team (PPT)
members on Friday, 18th April 2003, The President ordered a full-scale
resumption of UPDF operations against the LRA in Lapul sub-county, Pader
district, where the limited ceasefire was originally effective. The
termination came after reports in the local media, that on 18th April 2003
President Museveni had suspended the mobilisation and activities of the
peace initiatives because intelligence had discovered a plot to kill some
of the PPT members, including Salim Saleh, and to abduct the rest.


Increased vulnerability in the north

With the prospects of peace momentarily thwarted once again, the fate of
the vulnerable population in northern Uganda is at a critical point. The
LRA have issued an ultimatum to IDPs in northern Uganda not to leave the
camps to cultivate, under threat of death.  This is likely to increase the
population's reliance on WFP's food assistance for survival to the end of
2003.  Consequently, this will increase vulnerability in all sectors,
especially health and education.


Red Cross resumes operations in northern Uganda

The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) resumed activities in Northern Uganda
on Tuesday, 15th April 2003.  URCS activities in the region had been
suspended on 9th February 2003, following an ambush on a convoy of two
URCS vehicles at Paiula, Pader district on, Saturday, 8th February, in
which six volunteers were seriously injured and two vehicles vandalized.  
URCS is expected to continue with its relief distribution of non-food
items as well as health and community mobilization activities in the
region.

In a press release announcing the resumption of activities, URCS issued a
reminder to all actors that The Red Cross Emblem, vehicles and their
occupants are protected under International Humanitarian Law which
requires every body including combatants to respect the victims of war,
Red Cross personnel and their properties at all times. The release also
appealed to all belligerents to grant safe passage to all vehicles and
staff working under The Red Cross Emblem and to allow them perform their
life-saving tasks.


Karimojong hit Pader

A report by the Kalongo peace committee of Acholi Religious Leaders' Peace
Initiative (ARLPI), released early April, indicates that at least 65
people have been killed in sub-counties of Agago county (Pader district)
by Karimojong armed herdsmen during the months of February and March.

The report also indicated that 68,000 people have been displaced in
Kalongo Township due to continuous acts of violence perpetrated by LRA
rebels, Karimojong warriors and indisciplined UPDF soldiers. It also
listed a total of 150 huts and hundreds of granaries allegedly burnt down
in UPDF arson attacks aimed at forcing people into IDP camps.

Kalongo is part of Pader district, which has a population of 287,000. Most
of them - an estimated 241,000 - live in 13 squalid camps lacking in basic
amenities. The World Food Programme began large-scale food distribution in
the week beginning 7th April, using Kalongo as a logistic base, though
food distributions were being carried out through Gulu and surrounding
districts. Out of the threes districts of northern Uganda, Pader remains
the most inaccessible by humanitarian workers.


NOTES:

Pokot raid Kapchorwa

On the 11th April 2003, a band of armed Pokot cattle rustlers crossed from
western Kenya and attacked the villages of Rorok, Nait, Kapyoyon,
Kapkoloswo, Senendet, Kakweno, Chebinyiny and Matimbei in Suam sub county
at the eastern end of Kongasis County in Kapchorwa district.  
Consequently, UN-OCHA called and led an assessment team comprising Uganda
Red Cross, ActionAid, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and
Jamii Ya Kupatanisha (JYAK) to the district. The deputy Chief
Administrative Officer (DCAO), various district officials, ActionAid
Kapchorwa, World Food Programme (WFP) and others also joined the team.

The following are the major findings of the team:

   The attack is the worst ever in the district, where 24 people were
   killed, 253 houses burnt, and 1414 persons directly affected and 453
   others displaced.

   The need for security cannot be over-emphasized. It was increasingly
   evident that the population needs to be strongly reassured that the
   relevant local and central government authorities have plans to address
   their security concerns permanently.

   The cattle raids are fuelled by more than just the traditional and
   cultural practice of cattle raiding between the Pokot and Karimojong.
   There are wider dynamics that are both local and international. It was
   also observed that the extent to which the raid was orchestrated
   suggested that strong cross-border economic aspects of cattle rustling
   were at play. Local authorities are getting increasingly concerned by
   commercialisation of cattle raiding.

   Hinging from the above point, it was very evident that the authorities
   need to pursue regional political and diplomatic means to address
   especially the economic and security issues at the heart of the
   problem.

   The nature of the raids are said to have changed and are now
   particularly brutal, characterized by random killings, looting and
   total destruction of homes, property and food stocks.


As a direct result of the attacks, the affected population needs the
following:- Seeds, food, shelter material, clothing and blankets,
household utensils. The provision of security is paramount for the
affected population to benefit from the relief and gain self-reliance.  
WFP provided a one-month food ration for 3000 affected people.

The need for seed is critical - the affected population urgently needs
maize, beans and wheat seeds to plant. The raid came at the onset of the
planting and farmers had already cleared their fields extensively.  
During the assessment, it was observed that many of the affected
communities were getting desperate and had started planting the maize
grain and beans that had been distributed as emergency food aid by
ActionAid. WFP food relief is likely to meet the same fate.  There is thus
a very urgent need to provide the required farming inputs before the
second week of May ends if the farmers are to benefit from the current
rains. The farmers said clearly that from experience any crop planted by
the end of the third week of May will likely be lost.

Given the rich volcanic clay loam soils and good mountain rainfall, if
provided the seed on time, the community would quickly achieve adequate
food security situation. Other inputs required include hand hoes, pangas
and sunflower seeds.  (For the full report, please contact Jane Namulindwa
in UN OCHA; e-mail jane.namulindwa@wfp.org)


Donor mission highlights northern Uganda situation

A donor mission from Nairobi visited Uganda between 9-11 April 2003,
mainly to bring increased understanding and awareness of the situation
both for the donors and to a wider audience regionally and
internationally.  It is hoped that increased attention for the crisis will
encourage support for its resolution in the most appropriate way, and will
also prompt both the will and necessary resources to meet the immediate,
acute needs of the affected population.

The mission findings were grouped under two main headings. Firstly, the
potential for peace in this troubled region, and, the current status of
and relations between the on-going military operations and peace
initiatives. The prospects for peace looked at issues including
continuation of efforts by the PPT, support to the Amnesty Commission,
support for dialogue and a neutral mediator and place of mediation. Under
current status of and relations between the on-going military operations
and peace initiatives, the issues were of the vulnerable groups,
humanitarian access, coordination and technical capacity, sustainable
programmes, visibility of the crisis and sector needs.

Some of the recommendations were:

   The humanitarian situation in Northern Uganda has deteriorated
   dramatically over the past year and the humanitarian needs, across all
   sectors, are acute.  Yet the crisis appears to receive very limited
   attention either within Uganda itself, regionally or internationally
   given the scale of the problem and the impact on the population.
   Advocacy at all levels is required to raise the profile of the crisis,
   draw attention to the needs and mobilise both the will and the
   resources to address the situation.

   Both the continuing, and prolonged conflict, as well as the limited
   development of the region in the past, lie at the heart of the current
   humanitarian crisis.  Political will is required if these interlinked
   issues are to be addressed and the international and humanitarian
   community should advocate with the Government of Uganda for attention
   to both issues in the north.

   Given the limited success of the military option, which has been
   pursued to date, it is important that alternative strategies to the
   resolution of the conflict should be pursued and the promotion of
   dialogue and related peace efforts should be an essential element.

(For a full report, please contact Jane Namulindwa at UN-OCHA e-mail:
jane.namulindwa@wfp.org)



RWENZORI REGION:  BUNDIBUGYO

Influx of Congolese refugees into Bundibugyo

A Uganda Red Cross account has confirmed media reports that thousands of
Congolese nationals have fled into Bundibugyo. The Congolese - both Lendu
and Bahema - are reported to have entered Uganda through Kanara, Kamuga,
Rwangara, Budiba and Rwebisengo in Ntoroko County, Bundibugyo.

The refugees claim they fear for their lives in view of the vacuum left by
the departure of the UPDF. It should be noted that the Lendu and Bahema
(more commonly referred to as Hema) have had a long history of internal
conflicts that have left thousands of people dead and even more injured,
and extensive loss of property.

The URCS report notes that apart from the very few who have rented rooms
for accommodation, the refugees are currently living in inhuman
conditions. There is a general lack of food - leading to malnutrition,
particularly among the most vulnerable sections of the population like
children, shelter, safe drinking water, health facilities, household
utensils particularly water containers and sufficient grazing land for
those who fled with their animals. Already, there have been reports of
cholera outbreak in Rwebisengo and Kanara. The humanitarian situation
needs to be urgently addressed before it deteriorates critically.

For over a year now, there has been an influx of Congolese refugees into
Bundibugyo district, and Government and UNHCR have tried to relocate them
to refugee settlements with little success, as those with relatives in the
border area resisted the move.  As a result, the majority of the refugees
have not been registered. However, the humanitarian agencies are urging
government to ensure that the refugees are located in recognised centres
where it is easier to protect them and provide them with humanitarian
support. UN-OCHA is currently planning on leading an inter-agency mission
to Bundibugyo to assess the refugee situation, among other humanitarian
issues.

|-------------+-----------------------+------------+------------|
|             |                       |            |  Affected  |
|             |                       |            |Populations |
|             |                       |            |(1)         |
|-------------+-----------------------+------------+------------|
|District     |Beneficiary Type       | 31/03/03 |   Trend    |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Adjumani     |Refugees (Su)          |    60,893|     UP     |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Apac         |Abducted children      |       193|    SAME    |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Arua         |Refugees               |     4,917|        UP  |
|             |- Imvepi (Su)          |    25,455|     UP     |
|             |- Rhino Camp           |          |            |
|             |(Su,DRC,Br)            |          |            |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Bundibugyo   |IDPs                   |        **|     **     |
|             |Abducted children      |       205|    SAME    |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Gulu         |IDPs                   |   395,000|     **     |
|             |Abducted children      |     5,029|    SAME    |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Hoima        |Refugees (DRC, Su,     |    16,546|        UP  |
|             |Ky,Br)                 |          |            |
|             |- Kyangwali            |          |            |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Kabarole     |Refugees Kyaka II (DRC)|     3,159|    DOWN    |
|Kyenjojo     |Abducted children      |       302|    SAME    |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Kasese       |Abducted children      |       785|    SAME    |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Katakwi      |IDPs                   |    45,774|     --     |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Kitgum       |IDPs - Kitgum          |    99,228|     **     |
|             |Pader                  |   241,000|     **     |
|             |Abducted children      |     4,166|    SAME    |
|             |Drought Affected       |    30,000|     UP     |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Kotido       |Drought Affected       |   372,000|     UP     |
|             |IDPs                   |      4600|     UP     |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Lira         |Abducted children      |       430|    SAME    |
|             |IDPs                   |        UP|     UP     |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Mbarara      |Refugees               |     4,185|       DOWN |
|             |- Oruchinga (Rw  )     |    14,736|    DOWN    |
|             |- Nakivale             |          |            |
|             |(Rw,DRC,other)         |          |            |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Masindi      |Refugees               |    30,051|        UP  |
|             |- Kiryandongo (Su)     |          |            |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Moroto       |Drought Affected       |    97,200|     UP     |
|Nakapiripirit|Drought affected       |    77,600|     UP     |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Moyo         |Refugees (Su)          |    30,681|        UP  |
|             |- Palorinya            |          |            |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|Urban areas  |Refugees (mix)         |       149|    DOWN    |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|             |Refugees               |   200,772|     UP     |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|             |IDPs                   |  835,602+|     UP     |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|             |Abducted children      |    11,110|    SAME    |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|             |Drought Affected       |   576,800|     UP     |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|
|             |Total                  | 1,624,284|     UP     |
|-------------+-----------------------+----------+------------|


(1) Affected population figures are of variable accuracy due to rapidly
changing situation as well as the varying quality of information sources.  
Inclusion in this list does not necessarily indicate the population is
receiving humanitarian assistance.. Note too that IDP camp populations
reflect the population assisted by WFP (does not include unassisted
population figures). Abbrev. are Sudanese (Su), Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC), Rwanda, (Rw), Burundi (Br), Kenyan (Ky).

Note. The population figures are as of end of March 2003, while the IDP
figures are WFP working figures. Those figures for Gulu, Kitgum and Pader
do not reflect the displaced people or "nightstayers" in the towns.  Due
to the fluid insecurity, there is constant movement of people and the
above are working figures and may thus fluctuate from month to month
because no comprehensive registration of current displacement figures has
been undertaken in the north since the LRA resurgence in June 2002. For
the northern districts in particular the sign ** has been used to indicate
that figures are constantly changing.  With increased LRA and Karimojong
activity in Eastern Lira, numbers of displaced are above 50,000, though
definite figures are not yet available.

The contents of this Update do not necessarily represent the views of the
United Nations. Sources for the Update include Government, UN, NGOs,
donors, IOs and news agencies.

For more information or to contribute to the Humanitarian Update - Uganda,
please contact:

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs  (OCHA)
15 A Clement Hill Road
Ruth Towers B6
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: +256 (41) 031 242 804/9
Fax: +256 (41) 031 242 801
Email:  jane.namulindwa@wfp.org


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