OCHA Situation Report
Uganda
16 Oct - 15 Nov 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

I. GENERAL HUMANITARIAN CONTEXT

Security

In the ongoing peace talks in Juba, the Government of Uganda (GoU) and 
the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) signed an addendum to the Cessation of 
Hostilities agreement (CHA) on November 1st. The addendum defines 
actions that will constitute violations of the agreement by both parties 
and outlines additional roles and obligations of the Government of South 
Sudan (GoSS), the mediator in the talks. The addendum further defines 
assembly areas and sets a timeframe of three weeks for the LRA to 
assemble in these areas.

The security situation has remained calm in Acholi districts (Gulu, 
Amuru, Kitgum and Pader) since the signing of the Cessation of 
Hostilities Agreement in August. Some LRA rebels were sighted in Pader 
but there were no violent activities registered.

By contrast, violent incidents were reported in Southern Sudan. 
According to the United Nations Department for Security and Safety 
(UNDSS), between October 17th and 29th, there were six violent incidents 
during which over 50 deaths were recorded, the majority being civilians. 
It remains unclear who the perpetrators of the attacks were. The 
fluidity of the situation and the reports of attacks on armed convoys 
leaves accessibility hanging in the balance. Already, the situation has 
forced the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to 
suspend the repatriation of refugees to Southern Sudan.

LRA movements from South Sudan southwards to Northern Uganda have put 
security forces on high alert in the West Nile region. According to 
UNDSS reports, a group of six LRA moved into Moyo District under orders 
from Vincent Otti. One of the group members surrendered, leaving five 
others at large.

In Karamoja region, UNDSS reported that the situation continued to 
deteriorate especially in Kotido, Abim and Kaabong, as the ongoing 
forceful disarmament has provoked serious backlashes from the Jie 
warriors. The most notable event was on October 29th when the warriors 
killed a UPDF Major and 21 of his troops in Rengen sub-county. Given 
that the warriors are targeting the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces 
(UPDF), and that the police do not have the capacity to provide adequate 
armed escort, humanitarian access by agencies may be jeopardized. An 
inter-agency assessment team visited Kotido on November 7th to assess 
the humanitarian consequences of the developments in the area. They 
observed that the clashes had led to loss of life and property and 
displacement of up to 2000 civilians. The team got reports of serious 
abuse of rights by all parties involved.

Meanwhile in Katakwi, the warriors were reported to have engaged in 
direct confrontations with the UPDF and local militia, in the 
sub-counties of Ongongoja, Omodoi, Usuk, Ngariam, Katakwi and Magoro. 
The warriors also continued to launch incursions into neighbouring Lira, 
Pader and Kitgum, where they were implicated in acts of murder, rape and 
robbery. In Pader, district officials discussed the possibility of local 
leaders meeting with the Karimojong kraal leaders to agree on areas of 
safe passage during their seasonal migration in search of water and 
pastures.

UNDSS further reported that in Bundibugyo district, Western Uganda, 
about 18 Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels entered the district 
through a place called Butogo on October 22nd. UPDF clashed with the 
group in Semuliki National park. No casualties or fatalities were 
reported.

Access

As has been the case for some months now, most humanitarian agencies are 
accessing IDP camps without military escorts. OCHA has noted a marked 
reduction in the requests for military escorts. To date, 17 out of the 
25 camps in Kitgum can be accessed without military escort and the 
remaining eight require one escort vehicle. In Pader, out of 29 camps 19 
can be accessed without military escort, nine require one escort. In 
Gulu, 61 out of 65 camps do not require military escort and four require 
one escort. Only Latanya camp in Pader requires two escort vehicles.

In Katakwi the ever-deteriorating roads which have deep gullies and 
broken culverts continue to hamper access by humanitarian agencies.

Cholera outbreak

The cholera outbreak persisted in Kitgum, Gulu, Pader and West Nile 
districts. A report released by World Health Organisation (WHO) on 
November 13th indicated that Kitgum had recorded 17 new cases in the 
preceding week, bringing the district's cumulative case total to 1357, 
up from 1331 on November 6th. In Pader, WHO on November 13th reported 8 
new cases, bringing the cumulative total to 56, up from 48 in the 
previous week. In Gulu and Amuru, no new cases had been reported by 
November 5th, but district authorities were on high alert.

Efforts to curb the outbreak included community sensitizations and 
information campaigns, case management, increased surveillance, 
logistical and technical support to Cholera Treatment Centres (CTCs), 
water quality testing and disinfection. Key among the players were WHO, 
UN Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Cooperazione Internazionale/Italy 
(COOPI), Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale (AVSI), 
North West Medical Team (NWMT), Populations Services International 
(PSI), Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), Village Health Teams (VHTs) and 
the District Directorates of Health Services (DDHS) offices in affected 
areas.

The outstanding question is why, after such unrelenting interventions, 
has the outbreak persisted for many months? According to WHO, the main 
reasons for this are: low latrine coverage with an average of 100 
persons per stance far below the recommended sphere standard of 20 
persons per stance; insufficient water supply which pushes people to 
fetch water from unsafe sources; sharing of drinking containers and 
consumption of contaminated water; poor hygiene practices; participation 
in public gatherings like funerals and animal auctions; population 
congestion. In addition, many cholera victims are living in areas which 
are not recognised as IDP camps which hinders agencies from intervening.

II. POPULATION MOVEMENTS

Return and reintegration

The Minister of Disaster Preparedness, during a visit to the districts 
of Gulu, Amuru, Kitgum and Pader, announced plans to recruit five IDP 
resettlement officers for each of the conflict affected districts to be 
deployed in the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC). The 
minister further recommended that return of displaced persons should be 
complete by December 31st, which the district authorities said may not 
be possible given the unpredictable security situation. In Pader, the 
District Security Committee (DSC) met to consider the issue, and 
humanitarian agencies expressed concern that the displaced persons were 
not properly informed on what to expect when they go back home. The 
World Food Program (WFP) is working with UNHCR and the Gulu and Lira 
districts administration to clear and grade access roads in order to 
ease population movement to return areas. WFP mobilizes communities 
through Food for Work (FFW), UNHCR provides fuel and spare parts for the 
graders and the district provides a grader and a driver. So far in Gulu, 
Kinene Road (7 km) and Lamoki Road (8km) have been completed. Work is in 
progress on Omel Lapem Road (23km), Atoo Hill Road (12km) and Corner 
Agula (16km). In Lira clearing of roads is ongoing in the sub-counties 
of Barr, Abako, Ogur and Amugo. UNHCR has so far distributed tool kits 
comprising pangas, slashers, hoes, spades and sickles to communities in 
those sub counties.

In Gulu and Amuru, following the approval by the District Security 
Committee (DSC) for displaced persons to return to their villages 
starting November 10th, restrictions on population movements were all 
lifted. In that regard, the return and resettlement Sector Working Group 
(SWG) recommended that UNDSS conduct a security assessment in areas 
where military escorts are still required. The SWG identified four 
crucial areas in need of immediate intervention ? water and sanitation, 
health, education and mine action. On October 25th, OCHA embarked on a 
rapid assessment of the 28 new settlement sites to establish the 
prevailing humanitarian situation and availability of services such as 
health, water and sanitation and access to facilities like schools. In 
Kitgum, the population movement sub committee created an information 
pack in English and Luo, used by agencies to inform displaced persons 
about conditions in proposed areas of return. In the same light, the 
district authorities together with the UPDF and the RDC have embarked on 
awareness creation through radio talk shows and community meetings. 
Kitgum NGO Forum (KINGFO) convened a two-day dialogue under the theme, 
Roadmap to Practical Return and Resettlement of the IDPs in Acholi 
sub-region. Among the key issues raised was: the apparent stalled peace 
talks in Juba, the lack of information flow to the grate Acholi 
population, voluntary return, the position of Civil Society 
Organisations (CSOs) on the ICC indictments of five LRA leaders, land 
issues and strategies to respond to worst case scenarios in case the 
peace talks fail. In Pader, a recent OCHA assessment of the 108 new 
sites identified four types of settlements:

- Sites that cannot be accessed owing to bad roads and broken bridges
- Sites that are accessible but with no evidence of preparation
- Sites under preparation with some people already living there
- Sites that have already been occupied.

The report also identified two types of movement to the new sites ? 
movement induced by the presence of military detaches and spontaneous 
movements. Some of the recommendations from the assessment include: 1) 
District security committee should conduct a security assessment of 
settlement sites and identify insecurity factors e.g unexploded 
ordinances (UXOs) and mines 2) the district department of works should 
consider road surface conditions for clearing, widening or 
rehabilitation 3) Humanitarian agencies and government should seek the 
views of displaced persons in deciding where they (IDPs) would like to 
settle 4) Agencies should distribute food, seeds and tools in new 
settlements.

In Lira, the District Disaster Preparedness Coordinator (DDPC) led a 
District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) team to reassess the camps 
of Aler, Bala Stock Farm, Amugu and Barr. The main recommendation was 
that the camps be degazetted since most of the population had returned 
to their parishes. A final report will be discussed the forthcoming DDMC 
meeting.

Night commuters

MSF Swiss announced that on December 15th, they will close the Lacor 
Child Centre which has been in operation for over two years. This comes 
after a marked reduction in the number of children coming to the centre 
following the continued improvement in security. MSF-Swiss also 
explained that the reasons for night commuting had changed from safety 
and security to social needs, which could best be met at community 
level. The mode for preparing the children to return to their 
communities or relocate to other centres is yet to be discussed by the 
child protection SWG.

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