Government urges help for victims of rebel attacks

The government of Uganda has launched an appeal requesting over US $21.5 million to help the civilian victims of increased attacks by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the north of the country. State minister for disaster preparedness, Christine Aporu, launched the three-month appeal on Monday - expected to last from July to September - stating there was "a dire need" for food, medicine and other non-food items in order to avert a "looming human tragedy," the government daily 'New Vision' reported. A statement issued by the Ugandan government said the money would be used to support innocent civilian lives, especially those of women and children. The greatest need is for food aid, with almost US $13 million targeted for cereals, pulses, vegetable oil, sugar and salt. In addition, transport, storage, handling, and support costs are included in the appeal as well as clothes, blankets, cooking utensils, tents and plastic sheeting. Other items budgeted for include the construction of bore holes and latrines, and the provision of soap and educational materials, the government said. The Ugandan government has pledged to provide 20 percent of the total cost of the humanitarian needs. The government estimates that about 550,000 people have been displaced in Gulu, Pader and Kitgum districts by the rebels who crossed into the region from Sudan in mid-June. They have since been killing, and abducting internally displaced persons, looting property, burning homes and destroying crops. In addition, 16 displaced people's camps and one refugee settlement had been attacked, the government said. "The vastness of the region makes it difficult to guarantee safety to every household," the government added. Local people have accused the army, however, of being unable or unwilling to protect them. Displaced people along the shared border with Sudan - where LRA members take refuge - have asked the government to arm them to fight the rebels, because the army no longer protects them, the 'New Vision' said. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and other UN agencies in the region are supporting the government appeal, OCHA spokeswoman Jane Namulindwa told IRIN. She added that for a number of weeks UN agencies had been unable to assess the number of displaced people due to the unstable security situation, therefore official figures were very approximate.