Refugees of Uganda

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Uganda Map

Uganda is one of the largest refugee-hosting nations in the world, [1] [2] with 1,529,904 refugees (as of 28 February 2022 [3] ). The vast influx of refugees is due to several factors in Uganda's neighboring countries, especially war and violence in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, [4] and associated economic crisis and political instability in the region. Uganda has relatively 'friendly' policies that provide rights to the refugees, such as rights to education, work, private property, healthcare and other basic social services. [5]

Contents

Demographics

Most of the refugees in Uganda come from neighboring countries, especially South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [6] Uganda also has refugees from countries like Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan among others. [7]

Refugee Camps in South - Western Uganda Nyakabanda Transit Center - For Congolese Refugees - Outside Kisoro - Southwestern Uganda - 03.jpg
Refugee Camps in South - Western Uganda

Refugee Camps/settlements


Almost 50% of refugees in Uganda are located in the Bidi Bidi, Pagirinya, and Rhino refugee settlement camps, located in the northwest region of the country. [8] Additionally, South Sudan accounts for 62% of refugees in Uganda, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounts for 29%. [8] We have also refugee settlements in Uganda such as , KyakaII, Oruchinga, Kyangwali, Nakivale, Rwamwanja. [9]

Refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

As of the end of 2019, there are over 900,000 Congolese refugees being hosted in various African countries, with over 40% currently in Uganda. [10] The region of the DR Congo bordering Uganda is the place of origin for the vast majority of Congolese refugees. [10] The massive influx of refugees is largely caused by the persistent violence and fighting that has dominated the DR Congo. [11] Many refugees enter Uganda through Lake Albert in the Ituri province of the DR Congo, which borders the northwest region of Uganda. [12] Of the 900,000 refugees, almost 3% are children traveling alone; almost 2% are women at risk; and 0.2% are fleeing sexual- or gender-based violence. [10]

The presence of refugees in Uganda has had a positive influence on the rates of consumption and access to private education in the communities that host them. [13] This is due to increased channels of commerce in areas where more refugees are present, and the policies enforced by non-governmental organizations that allow for private education providers to be more common in areas with higher refugee populations.

Reasons for Fleeing

The Kivu Conflict

The conflict in the Kivu region of the DR Congo has persisted since before the First Congo War, and currently takes form as a conflict between ethnic groups with political actors having a major influence. [14] Armed groups from the Congolese Babembe, Bafuliru, and Banyindu communities are fighting with the Rwandan Banyamulenge, as Rwanda borders the Kivu region. [15] Many suggest that the conflict concerns control over land and resources, as Kivu is plentiful in minerals. [16]

This conflict has resulted in the displacement of over 200,000 people and the destruction of many communities. [15] Further, crucial facilities have been destroyed, including schools, hospitals, and clinics. [15] As of August 2019, almost 2,000 civilians have been killed in this conflict. [17]

Violence in Ituri

The conflict in the Ituri province of the DR Congo is a result of fighting between the Hema and Lendu ethnic groups. This violence has persisted for years, though it recently worsened as the availability of weapons in the area increased. [18] Since September 2018, the Lendus have carried out an increasing amount of violent attacks against the Hemas, with crimes ranging from killings, rapings, and destruction of crucial facilities. [19]

During the summer of 2019, President Felix Tshisekedi of the DR Congo condemned the inter-ethnic group violence as attempted genocide. [20] In January 2020, the United Nations released a report declaring the ethnic violence in the Ituri province to be crimes against humanity. [19] Hundreds of Congolese seeking safety and stability cross into Uganda every day as a result of this conflict. [20]

More than 700 people have been killed in this conflict, and hundreds are victims of sexual violence. [19] The majority of these victims are from the Hema communities. [21]

The Ebola Outbreak

Since 1976, there have been 10 outbreaks of Ebola in the DR Congo, with the most recent one beginning in August 2018 and continuing into the present. [22] The current outbreak mostly effects the Ituri and North Kivu provinces, and the number of cases has officially surpassed 3,000. [23] In July 2019, this outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern by a representative of the World Health Organization. [24]

The outbreak has slowed in 2020, with the last recorded case being confirmed on February 17. [23] This is the largest Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo, and is the second greatest Ebola outbreak recorded worldwide. [23]

Reasons for Coming to Uganda

Uganda currently hosts the greatest amount of refugees out of all the African countries, which may be due to their open-door refugee policy. [25] In fact, the country's government has made welcoming and caring for refugees an important part of its national policy. [26] Uganda's approach to refugees involves welcoming relatively anyone seeking refuge or asylum in the country, regardless of country of origin. They also allow refugees the freedom of movement and the right to pursue employment. Furthermore, refugee families are each given a piece of land so that they may benefit from agriculture. [27]

Uganda has supported the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the government intervened in the war torn country in 1998. [28]

Problems faced by Refugees

South Sudanese refugees being served food. Many of the complaint of hunger due to the food rationing by World Food Program. South Sudanese refugees being served food. Many of the complain of hunger due to the food rationing by World Food Program. PHOTO BY FELIX WAROM OKELLO.jpg
South Sudanese refugees being served food. Many of the complaint of hunger due to the food rationing by World Food Program.

Last year,[ when? ] Uganda took in more refugees than any other country in the world. One of the major problems faced by the refugees is that most of these stranded people are children. Some of the challenges faced by refugees include agricultural productivity, information dissemination and distribution of goods. [29]

COVID-19 and Refugees

The novel strain of coronavirus, named COVID-19, first appeared in Wuhan, China, with the earliest case reported on November 17, 2019. [30] By January 13, 2020, the virus had spread from China to Thailand, marking the first case of COVID-19 outside of China. [31] On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially recognized the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic. By this time, the virus had spread to more than 114 countries and had taken the lives of over 4,000 people. [32] As of April 17, 2020, there are almost 2.2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, 55 confirmed cases in Uganda, 4 confirmed cases in South Sudan, and 287 confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [33] As healthcare professionals and researchers continue to learn more about the virus, various groups have come to public attention as high risk groups. One such group is refugees.

Refugees and otherwise displaced populations are particularly vulnerable because of the conditions in which they live. For example, many refugees live in camps or settlements with incredibly high population density and limited access to basic services. Refugees in camps and settlements also encounter difficulties in accessing reliable and accurate information due to a variety of barriers. Further, refugees around the world heavily rely upon the aid of humanitarian groups, non-governmental organizations, and governments; due to the pandemic, these groups will be focusing their efforts and finances on the virus. [34]

In late March 2020, the Ugandan government announced that it would formally suspend the acceptance of refugees and asylum seekers into the country as the number of confirmed cases increased. [35] Many fear the death toll from COVID-19 in Uganda will increase exponentially should the virus be introduced to the many refugee settlements. In addition, representatives of the United Nations Refugee Agency worry that the conditions of refugee settlements may enable the spread of the virus, as access to water is limited, and current food rations have been cut. [36] Ugandan authorities have recently found it difficult to ensure that refugees are complying with the health and safety guidelines implemented by the government in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Musu Ecweru, Uganda's State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, explains that this lack of compliance may be due to the fact that many refugees come from countries where the governments are not trusted; as such, submitting to authority is unusual and difficult. [37]

Problems caused by refugees

Uganda, for all its hospitality, has struggled to handle the large inflow of refugees. These refugees come to the country needing medical care as many are sick or injured from their journey. This has placed a lot of pressure on health officials in the country. In Uganda, there is approximately one doctor to every 24,000 citizens, and one nurse per every 11,000. [38] This has presented challenges in caring for refugees. Initially, refugees used to be given some land to farm and take care of their families but because of the huge increase in the number of refugees, the country can not do it anymore making to difficult for refugees to feed themselves. [39] The presence of these refugees has not only made it because to provide land but water and shelter as well. [40] In part, the struggle for food by refugees has resulted from officials working these camps misusing the funds meant for the refugees to enrich themselves instead. [41] This has led to the investigation of some of these officials.

See also

Related Research Articles

The earliest known human settlements in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been dated back to the Middle Stone Age, approximately 90,000 years ago. The first real states, such as the Kongo, the Lunda, the Luba and Kuba, appeared south of the equatorial forest on the savannah from the 14th century onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Kivu</span> Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

North Kivu is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Goma. The 2020 population was estimated to be 8,147,400.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orientale Province</span> Province in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Orientale Province is one of the former provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its predecessors the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo. It went through a series of boundary changes between 1898 and 2015, when it was divided into smaller units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hema people</span> Ethnic group

The Hema people or Bahema (plural) are a Bantu ethnic group who are concentrated in parts of Ituri Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ituri conflict</span> Subconflict of the Second Congo War

The Ituri conflict is an ongoing low intensity asymmetrical conflict between the agriculturalist Lendu and pastoralist Hema ethnic groups in the Ituri region of the north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). While the two groups had fought since as early as 1972, the name 'Ituri conflict' refers to the period of intense violence between 1999 and 2003. Armed conflict continues to the present day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo</span> City in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Beni is a city in north eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, lying immediately west of the Virunga National Park and the Rwenzori Mountains, on the edge of the Ituri Forest.

Congolese history in the 2000s has primarily revolved around the Second Congo War (1998–2003) and the empowerment of a transitional government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masisi Territory</span> Territory in North Kivu, DR Congo

Masisi Territory is a territory which is located within the North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its political headquarters are located in the town of Masisi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kivu conflict</span> Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Kivu conflict is an umbrella term for a series of protracted armed conflicts in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo which have occurred since the end of the Second Congo War. Including neighboring Ituri province, there are more than 120 different armed groups active in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, some of the most active rebel groups include the Allied Democratic Forces, the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, the March 23 Movement, and many local Mai Mai militias. In addition to rebel groups and the governmental FARDC troops, a number of national and international organizations have intervened militarily in the conflict, including the United Nations force known as MONUSCO, and an East African Community regional force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1468</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2003

United Nations Security Council resolution 1468, adopted unanimously on 20 March 2003, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council welcomed an agreement on the establishment of a transitional government and requested an increased presence of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) in the Ituri region in the east of the country amid escalating violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allied Democratic Forces insurgency</span> Islamist insurgency in the DR Congo and Uganda

The Allied Democratic Forces insurgency is an ongoing conflict waged by the Allied Democratic Forces in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, against the governments of those two countries and the MONUSCO. The insurgency began in 1996, intensifying in 2013, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The ADF is known to currently control a number of hidden camps which are home to about 2,000 people; in these camps, the ADF operates as a proto-state with "an internal security service, a prison, health clinics, and an orphanage" as well as schools for boys and girls.

Kyaka II Refugee Settlement is a refugee camp in Kyegegwa District in western Uganda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kivu Ebola epidemic</span> Ebola virus outbreak in the eastern DRC from 2018 to 2020

The Kivu Ebola epidemic was an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) mainly in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and in other parts of Central Africa, from 2018 to 2020. Between 1 August 2018 and 25 June 2020 it resulted in 3,470 reported cases. The Kivu outbreak also affected Ituri Province, whose first case was confirmed on 13 August 2018. In November 2018, the outbreak became the biggest Ebola outbreak in the DRC's history, and had become the second-largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history worldwide, behind only the 2013–2016 Western Africa epidemic. In June 2019, the virus reached Uganda, having infected a 5-year-old Congolese boy who entered Uganda with his family, but was contained.

Events in the year 2020 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CODECO</span> Militia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

CODECO is a loose association of various Lendu militia groups operating within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The name is an abbreviation of the group's lesser-known full name, the Cooperative for Development of the Congo, sometimes also styled the Congo Economic Development Cooperative.

Events in the year 2021 in the Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 North Kivu Ebola</span> Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 7 February 2021, the Congolese health ministry announced that a new case of Ebola near Butembo, North Kivu had been detected the previous day. The case was a 42-year-old woman who had symptoms of Ebola in Biena on 1 February 2021. A few days after, she died in a hospital in Butembo. The WHO said that more than 70 people who had contact with the woman had been tracked.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drodro</span> Place in Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Drodro is a refugee camp in Djugu territory, located in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CIYOTA</span> Ugandan educational organizastion

COBURWAS International Youth Organization to Transform Africa, commonly known as CIYOTA is a Ugandan not-for-profit refugee-education organisation. It was formed in 2005 by refugee youth and was the Africa finalists for the Nansen Refugee Award in 2013.

References

  1. ↑ "Uganda now 3rd top refugee hosting nation in the world". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  2. ↑ Titz, Christoph; Feck (Photos), Maria (2017-09-13). "Open Borders: Uganda Is the Most Refugee-Friendly Country in the World". Spiegel Online. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  3. ↑ "Uganda: UNHCR Operational Update, February 2022 - Uganda | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  4. ↑ "200,000 flee DR Congo fighting to Uganda". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  5. ↑ "8 things you need to know about refugees in Uganda". www.amnesty.org. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  6. ↑ "Uganda Comprehensive Refugee Response Portal". UNHCR. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  7. ↑ "Country - Uganda". data.unhcr.org. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
  8. 1 2 "Country - Uganda". data2.unhcr.org. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  9. ↑ "SETTLEMENT". urrms.opm.go.ug. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  10. 1 2 3 UNHCR (November–December 2019). "The Democratic Republic of the Congo Situation". UNHCR Regional Update.
  11. ↑ "DRC Refugees Flooding Into Uganda to Escape Armed Conflict | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  12. ↑ Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Thousands fleeing new Congo violence, Uganda refugee facilities dangerously stretched". UNHCR. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  13. ↑ Kreibaum, Merle (February 2016). "Their Suffering, Our Burden? How Congolese Refugees Affect the Ugandan Population". World Development. 78: 262–287. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.636.5732 . doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.10.019. ISSN   0305-750X.
  14. ↑ "Rebellion and Conflict Minerals in North Kivu". ACCORD. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  15. 1 2 3 "In eastern Congo, a local conflict flares as regional tensions rise". The New Humanitarian. 2019-10-28. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  16. ↑ "Kivu: The forgotten war". The Mail & Guardian. 2018-09-26. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  17. ↑ "DR Congo: 1,900 Civilians Killed in Kivus Over 2 Years". Human Rights Watch. 2019-08-14. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  18. ↑ "DRC: IRIN Focus on Hema-Lendu conflict [19991115]". www.africa.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  19. 1 2 3 "OHCHR | DRC: inter-ethnic violence in Ituri may constitute "crimes against humanity" – UN report". www.ohchr.org. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  20. 1 2 "DR Congo president calls Ituri violence 'attempted genocide'". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  21. ↑ "Killings and violence targeting ethnic group in DR Congo 'may amount to crimes against humanity'". UN News. 2020-01-10. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  22. ↑ "Ebola | History of Ebola in Democratic Republic of the Congo". WHO. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  23. 1 2 3 "DRC Ebola outbreak crisis update | MSF". Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  24. ↑ "Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo". European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  25. ↑ "Uganda stands out in refugees hospitality | Africa Renewal". www.un.org. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  26. ↑ Goldstein, Joseph (2018-10-28). "As Rich Nations Close the Door on Refugees, Uganda Welcomes Them". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  27. ↑ "Uganda's Progressive Approach to Refugee Management". World Bank. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  28. ↑ Clark, John F. (June 2001). "Explaining Ugandan intervention in Congo: evidence and interpretations". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 39 (2): 261–287. doi:10.1017/s0022278x01003615. ISSN   0022-278X.
  29. ↑ "Uganda: What are refugees' biggest needs in settlements across Uganda? - Uganda". ReliefWeb. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  30. ↑ Menokee, Dweepobotee Brahma, Sikim Chakraborty, and Aradhika (2020-04-02). "The early days of a global pandemic: A timeline of COVID-19 spread and government interventions". Brookings. Retrieved 2020-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  31. ↑ "WHO Timeline - COVID-19". www.who.int. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  32. ↑ "WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 11 March 2020". www.who.int. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  33. ↑ "ArcGIS Dashboards". gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  34. ↑ "COVID-19 and the Displaced: Addressing the Threat of the Novel Coronavirus in Humanitarian Emergencies". Refugees International. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  35. ↑ "Uganda suspends refugee arrivals as coronavirus cases rise". The New Humanitarian. 2020-03-25. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  36. ↑ "Fears in Uganda over coronavirus outbreak in refugee settlements". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  37. ↑ "Refugees Defy COVID-19 Safety Measures in Uganda | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  38. ↑ "Uganda Welcomes More Refugees Daily Than Some in Europe Annually, Charity Says". Voa News.
  39. ↑ "At least a million South Sudan refugees in Uganda". www.cbsnews.com. 17 August 2017. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  40. ↑ "Uganda's open-door policy sags amid crush of refugees from South Sudan". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  41. ↑ "The U.N. found only 7,000 refugees, despite Uganda's claim that thousands more needed aid". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
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