OCHA Situation Report No. 8
Uganda: Kenyan Refugees
15 February 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

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 a tent 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.

38. OCHA will continue to issue regular Situation Reports. Inputs may be 
sent to: knutson@un.org.

For more information, please contact:

Kristen Knutson, Public Information and Donor Liaison Officer, 
OCHA-Uganda: +256 312 244 888, +256 772 759 996 (mobile), knutson@un.org;

Chris Hyslop, Desk Officer, OCHA-New York: +1 917 367 9457, 
hyslopc@un.org;

Christina Bennett, Public Information Officer, OCHA-New York: +1 917 367 
5126, bennett1@un.org;

Elisabeth Byrs, Public Information Officer, OCHA-Geneva: +41 22917 2653, 
byrs@un.org.

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