Aid agencies seek $158 million for northern humanitarian crisis

Humanitarian agencies in Uganda jointly appealed on Thursday for nearly US $158 million to address the humanitarian crisis in the north, where one and a half million people displaced by an 18-year-old war between government troops and rebels are in dire need of help. "The war of children against children has continued in northern Uganda and is now in its 18th year," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in the appeal document. "The situation remains characterised by insecurity, large-scale displacement and limited provision of humanitarian assistance. "The ongoing crisis is having disastrous effects on the health and social welfare of the people of northern and eastern Uganda," OCHA added. "Despite recent improvements in security and increases in humanitarian presence and programmes, the most vulnerable people in northern Uganda still do not receive the minimum level of humanitarian assistance." OCHA said $157,686,167 was needed to provide basic needs in 2005 to the 1.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 218,846 refugees living there. The aid, it added, would be used to improve access to IDPs, refugees and other vulnerable groups for the delivery of humanitarian assistance, the protection for all vulnerable groups, the supply of provisions for comprehensive humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations, and improve livelihoods for IDPs and refugees to promote self-reliance. Northern Uganda has been ravaged by 18 years of war between the government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The rebels are fighting ostensibly to topple the government. LRA fighters frequently attack villages and IDP camps, kill civilians indiscriminately and abduct children for conscription into their ranks. According to the "Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP): Humanitarian Appeal 2005 for Uganda", the UN Children's Fund estimated that 3,000 children had been abducted by the LRA since October 2003 for use as soldiers, sex slaves and porters, adding to the approximately 18,000 abducted in previous years. "Since April 2004, the improvement in the security situation in Soroti and Katakwi has been persistent and people in those two districts are now receiving return food packages," the appeal said. "Some security improvement in Gulu and Lira districts over July and August is noticeable also, but is not yet sufficient for people to return home or for aid organisations to deliver adequate relief assistance." Moses Ali, Uganda's deputy prime minister who is also in charge of disaster preparedness and refugees, said at the launch in the capital, Kampala: "It is now time for hope [...] for more positive change for the people of the north, a time when we can start to look for long term solutions and a time where we will ensure that the suffering of the people comes to an end." Daouda Toure, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator, said: "The central message of this appeal today is that despite the improvement in the security situation, the humanitarian needs in northern Uganda are greater than ever. They are now even more pressing." He noted that when a similar appeal was made last year, 1.2 million people had been displaced as the LRA rebellion extended to the northeastern districts of Kaberamaido, Katakwi and Soroti. Still, when the rebels intensified attacks in Gulu, Kitgum, Pader and Lira districts - exemplified by the massacre of over 200 people in Barlonyo in February, the number of those displaced rose to 1.6 million. Toure welcomed a recent announcement by the Ugandan government of a limited ceasefire in the region to give a chance to peace efforts. "We hope that all will be done to come together in a coordinated way to encourage all parties and assist where necessary for a lasting peace that will end the suffering of the people," he said. A representative of the donor countries and Irish ambassador to Uganda, Martin O'Fainin said: "Northern Uganda represents one of the great humanitarian tragedies of our time. Children are the most pitiful victims of this senseless war. Twenty thousand have been abducted. Many are dead. Others have been brutalized and forced to commit heinous crimes against their own people. Still, others are used as sex slaves." Children affected by the conflict gave emotional testimonies about their life in northern Uganda during the launch. The "night commuters" spoke about the challenges of leaving their homes every night for fear of being abducted by the rebels to sleep in towns where they felt their security is some how guaranteed, returning home every morning. Saying that a government team had made attempts to meet LRA representatives, Gulu District Chairman Walter Ochora warned that there could be disappointments, saying that the LRA did not have a proper chain of command to facillitate easy communication with the government. The appeal document can be found at: www.reliefweb.int Also see IRIN Special Report: "UGANDA: Humanitarian crisis persists in northern region"