Poor sanitation in refugee camp shocks actor Gillies

Daniel Gillies, notably known by Ugandans as Elijah Mikaelson, for his role in the popular TV series, Vampire Diaries, has expressed shock about sanitation and water challenges that thousands of refugees face at Bidi Bidi refugee camp in northern Uganda.

"Sanitation and water is a big problem here," Gillies said in one of Facebook videos that he posted on Saturday, shortly after his tour of Bidi Bidi, one of the largest refugee camps in the world.

Gillies came to Uganda on an Oxfam organized visit to Bidi Bidi refugee settlement camp. He is raising the profile of refugees.

Calling on people to donate to the advancement of refugees in Uganda, who are mainly running away from the never-ending conflict in South Sudan, Gillies has rolled out dozens of "My Voice. Our Fight" t-shirts for people to purchase as a mechanism of raising resources.

"I am trying to create a conversation about refugees. Each of these refugees has a different story, and a home to go back to. I appeal to you [people] to talk about it because every dollar of yours counts," he said, underscoring the fact that his refugee campaign is not a temporary venture but something that will last.

Gillies also praised the Ugandan Government and NGOs for providing the necessary arrangements to ensure that refugees are catered for.

"We are indebted to the government. It is not an easy process. It is an enormous undertaking by the Government of Uganda and NGOs," he said.

The public relations manager of Oxfam-Uganda, Dora Ntunga, said Gillies will end his refugee camp tour on Tuesday.

The UN agency for refugees (UNHCR) estimates that the total population of refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda is 1.5 million, with South Sudan contributing 1 million refugees.

Other refugees are from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda, among other countries.