Kenyan refugee children to be reunited with their parents
Feb 06, 2008
UGANDA Red Cross Society (UCRS) and Save the Children Fund (SCF) are re-uniting refugee children who fled the ethnic violence in Kenya without their parents after the disputed December presidential elections.
By Ayiga Ondoga
UGANDA Red Cross Society (UCRS) and Save the Children Fund (SCF) are re-uniting refugee children who fled the ethnic violence in Kenya without their parents after the disputed December presidential elections.
According SCF, the programme is targeting 500 children and so far 389 children have been settled at the camp.
Deputy secretary general URCS, Richard Ntaka, said the UN agencies, Tororo district and Kenya authorities are working together to reunite the children with their parents.
He added: “URCS and World Vision are working to improve sanitation at the camp to avert the outbreak of diseases while the United Nations Children Fund is supplying water to the site.â€
Ntaka appealed to other humanitarian organisations to provide more food, including supplementary feeding for the children to improve their health.
The cultural leader of the Adhola, Moses Owor, while addressing the refugees in Mulanda, said Kenyans accommodated Ugandans during the Amin turmoil, so now was the time for Ugandans to return the favour.
“For 30 years before becoming a cultural leader, I was working with the UN and Kenyans accommodated many Ugandans who fled Amin’s dictatorship. Therefore, we have a debt for Kenyans in this difficult time.â€
Owor assured the refugees that the Uganda Government would ensure their safety until they returned to Kenya.
Tororo LC5 chairman Emmanuel Osuna, warned the refugees against smoking bhangi,/i> (opium), over drinking and moving recklessly because the Ugandan criminal laws would catch up with them.
He added: “As government, we are going to see how school-going children can continue with their education. We shall talk to the stakeholders if Swahili lessons could be taught to them,†Osuna said.
Meanwhile, as of January 30, over 100 more refugees entered Uganda through Rwakaka and Malaba border points and were relocated to Mulanda Transit Camp in Tororo district. Before their arrival, the Red Cross records indicated that there were 1,139 refugees from 460 households being resettled at Mulanda, with over 85% being Kikuyu.
UGANDA Red Cross Society (UCRS) and Save the Children Fund (SCF) are re-uniting refugee children who fled the ethnic violence in Kenya without their parents after the disputed December presidential elections.
According SCF, the programme is targeting 500 children and so far 389 children have been settled at the camp.
Deputy secretary general URCS, Richard Ntaka, said the UN agencies, Tororo district and Kenya authorities are working together to reunite the children with their parents.
He added: “URCS and World Vision are working to improve sanitation at the camp to avert the outbreak of diseases while the United Nations Children Fund is supplying water to the site.â€
Ntaka appealed to other humanitarian organisations to provide more food, including supplementary feeding for the children to improve their health.
The cultural leader of the Adhola, Moses Owor, while addressing the refugees in Mulanda, said Kenyans accommodated Ugandans during the Amin turmoil, so now was the time for Ugandans to return the favour.
“For 30 years before becoming a cultural leader, I was working with the UN and Kenyans accommodated many Ugandans who fled Amin’s dictatorship. Therefore, we have a debt for Kenyans in this difficult time.â€
Owor assured the refugees that the Uganda Government would ensure their safety until they returned to Kenya.
Tororo LC5 chairman Emmanuel Osuna, warned the refugees against smoking bhangi,/i> (opium), over drinking and moving recklessly because the Ugandan criminal laws would catch up with them.
He added: “As government, we are going to see how school-going children can continue with their education. We shall talk to the stakeholders if Swahili lessons could be taught to them,†Osuna said.
Meanwhile, as of January 30, over 100 more refugees entered Uganda through Rwakaka and Malaba border points and were relocated to Mulanda Transit Camp in Tororo district. Before their arrival, the Red Cross records indicated that there were 1,139 refugees from 460 households being resettled at Mulanda, with over 85% being Kikuyu.