Uganda grapples with refugee influx

Jul 21, 2016

"We have been receiving refugees from South Sudan since December 2013 and so far over 150,000 have been settled."

(All photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

The government of Uganda is grappling with the surging numbers of people fleeing the civil war in South Sudan, with limited supplies of logistics and other essentials at the holding center in Elegu border town in Amuru district.

Titus Jogo, a Refugee Desk Officer from the Office of the Prime Minister who is in charge of the Elegu Holding Center, said they were trying their best to manage the situation but the increasing numbers of arrivals were worrying the workers.

 

 

 

He said all the new arrivals assemble and have their particulars recorded for planning purposes, and screen them to avoid wrongdoers taking advantage to sneak into Uganda. Recently two refugees from South Sudan were arrested with a rifle and handed over to the authorities, he said.

The center, according to Jogo, had received more stocks of drugs and vaccinations from Kampala and immunization and vaccinations of children between 0-5 for polio and 0-15 for measles was taking place.

The screened refugees are given yellow wrist bands and allocated trucks that take them to Adjumani Refugee Settlement in West Nile.

"We have been receiving refugees from South Sudan since December 2013 and so far over 150,000 have been settled," said Jogo.

 

 

 

It is understood that from July 7 when fighting started in South Sudan, thousands of people continued to pour in at the center and many were being kept in night shelters that were erected.

Abdul Ramadan was reading out names of those that had been registered but many remained in the queues - complaining and asking for food.

The place was soggy and littered with garbage as sick, tired children and old women rested on heaps of luggage. The majority were women and children.

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Assistant Inspector of Police, Asuman Mugenyi, who is the commandant of the police operations, said that before the final convoy of returnees on Tuesday, they had received a total of 8,747 people through the Nimule-Elegu border point with 8, 119 Ugandans. The rest were Kenyans, Ethiopians, Britons, Rwandese, South Koreans, Eritreans, Lebanese, Tanzanians, Liberians, Zimbabweans and Indians.

Other people continued fleeing and entering Uganda through other routes including Koboko-Oraba, Moyo, Yumbe, Lamwo and other places.

One of the convoy commanders, Brigadier Kayanja Muhanga said the last evacuation had 30,000 Ugandans and 10,000 non-nationals who were escorted by the UPDF from Juba to Elegu. He said the single convoy stretched for about 80km from Juba Central Market to Aru Junction and lasted several hours.

 

Most of the returnees had no money and property, saying gunmen attacked them from their homes and robbed everything.

A few others managed to escape with some luggage and those who had money hired their own transport means that included lorry trucks, buses and trailers.

The Ugandans who had money continued with their journey to Kampala and other places while the rest waited for government vehicles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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