$127m needed for IDPs

Nov 19, 2003

UGANDA has appealed to donors for US$127,901,055 to address the urgent needs of 1.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs) and 150,000 refugees in northern and northeastern region.

By Alfred Wasike

UGANDA has appealed to donors for US$127,901,055 to address the urgent needs of 1.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs) and 150,000 refugees in northern and northeastern region.

In New York, the UN secretary General, Kofi Annan, launched the worldwide appeal dubbed, “Hear our Voices” to raise US$3b for more than 45 million people hit by war and other crises in 21 countries
In Kampala, the First deputy Premier, Lt. Gen. Moses Ali, while launching the strategy, said Uganda would continue to fight terrorism perpetuated by the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels.

He was addressing donors at Hotel Africana yesterday.

Some donors complained about the absence of finance minister Gerald Ssendaula and the four state ministers after Ali stressed the need to include the disaster preparedness programme into the Poverty Eradication Action Plan.

The donors were depressed after they watched a moving presentation on traumatised children called “night commuters” sleeping on Gulu streets in Gulu district.

They were also shown videos of the recent bloody aftermath of cattle rustling in Katakwi and Kapchorwa districts.

Ali said the LRA had not defeated the UPDF and that Uganda was not only pursuing a military line. He said Uganda would soon have an IDP policy and a law to regulate refugees.

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