Category: Uganda

Influx of New Refugees, Ebola Outbreak Managed

DRC Conflicts Increase Number of Refugees Since May

10,989 new refugees arrived in Uganda in June, 79% of whom came from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), followed by South Sudan at 18% and Burundi at 4%. There was an average of 288 new arrivals per day, nearly twice as much as the month of May, the majority of whom were children. This growth trend can be attributed to factors including conflicts between the Hema and Lendu groups in the DRC and resulting human rights violations.

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The BMJ: "Self Care Interventions for Sexual and Reproductive Health"

RMF Uganda Featured in the BMJ Article

On April 1, 2019, the BMJ published the article "Self care interventions could advance sexual and reproductive health in humanitarian settings." This article begins by summarizing the humanitarian crisis affecting refugees, asylum seekers, and IDPs, and then introduces the concept of self care interventions, such as HIV self-testing, as a way to address the health care aspect of this crisis as it pertains to sexual and reproductive health services and rights. The refugee crisis in Uganda…

RMF has continued to implement our Sports Development Program, which is promoting psychological wellbeing, life skills, and cooperation among the youth. The program has helped diffuse some of the tension existing between different tribes from South Sudan. It has also helped players cope with trauma and other psychological problems through our counseling and dialogue sessions. The project has also improved the lives of the coaches, as many of them have been able to improve their economic situations as a result of the monthly salaries and allowances.

In the fourth quarter of 2018, the Kiryandongo Sports Development Program team…

Nearly 100% of CBI Targets Achieved

UNHCR Reports

"The Cash Working Group (CWG) coordinates the implementation of Cash Transfer Programmes in Uganda. As of June 2018, 9 organisations reported ongoing cash activities in 11 Settlements.

To date the CWG has disbursed 16.74 million in cash transfers to 319,412 beneficiaries. The largest proportion of cash (81) was disbursed in order to meet food needs while a relatively smaller proportion was provided for multipurpose cash (12), livelihoods (6) and Wash Support (1). Overall, almost 100% of the targets for planned cash disbursements was…

©UNHCR

The UNHCR reports 65,773 new refugee arrivals from the Democratic of the Congo (DRC) since January 1, 2018 which exceeds the 2018 operational planning figure of 60,000. 2,672 unaccompanied and separated children and 247 survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) have been identified since mid-December. The number of arrivals remained significant with a daily influx of 605 refugees during the reporting period. Officials also report an outbreak of cholera among the refugees.

Since the onset of the cholera outbreak, a total of 2,006 cholera cases have been reported in Kyangwali (1,898)…

Photo: ©UNHCR/Vlora Shemsedini

The UNHCR reports that between the 6th and 9th of February 2018, some 11,833 new refugees from the Democratic of the Congo (DRC) entered Uganda. With attacks on civilians, killings, and the destruction of private property, people are fleeing their homes to escape the disturbing rise in violence. Men, women, and children are crowding into boats to make the hazardous border crossing.

Aboard an overloaded canoe, the journey across Lake Albert can take up to 10 hours, while speed boats can make the crossing in four hours. There have been several…

Photo: ©UNHCR/Razak Katabazi

The UNHCR reports that between the 17th and 19th of January 2018, some 1,161 new refugee arrivals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) crossed to Uganda via Kisoro (873), Kanungu (234), and Lake Albert (54), bringing the total number of new arrivals to 10,666 since December 18, 2017.

According to refugees arriving at Nyakabande transit centre, Kisoro district, attacks against civilians by Mai-­‐Mai militia and other armed opposition groups continue unabated in North Kivu, including arbitrary killings, rape, abductions and looting.

The full report can be read…

Given this week’s sharp rise in the number of new Congolese arrivals in Uganda, the UNHCR has decided to re-institute the inter-agency update on the DRC refugee situation.

Since 18 December, over 2,650 new refugee arrivals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have crossed to Uganda, four times the average daily arrival recorded between January and November 2017. The vast majority (2,300) entered Uganda crossing Lake Albert aboard rickety fishing boats, with others (350) coming in through more commonly used border points in Kisoro, Kanungu and Bundibugyo districts. The Office of the Prime…

Photo: WHO Regional Office for Africa

In a media release, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa has indicated that undernutrition is still very prevalent in areas of Africa, and the numbers of stunted children is growing.

Read a small excerpt below.

"According to the WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti,“The numbers and trends highlighted in the report show that we need to work harder to avoid the long-term consequences of malnutrition and poor health on our children’s future prosperity, including the increased risk of dietrelated noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes…

*The Real Medicine Foundation Uganda team just received a large donation of medicine from Direct Relief As the Healthcare Implementing Partner for UNHCR at Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, this donation will support our initiative tremendously. Thank you, Direct Relief!

Direct Relief posted an article on their website highlighting the donation. The article as a whole is available by clicking the article images below. Read a small excerpt here.

"Last Thursday, a shipment of essential medicines and supplies arrived at the Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in northern Uganda,…

Reuters/James Akena

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an Marburg virus outbreak in Uganda.

"On 17 October 2017, the Ugandan Ministry of Health notified WHO of a confirmed outbreak of Marburg virus disease in Kween District, Eastern Uganda. The Ministry for Health officially declared the outbreak on 19 October 2017. As of 24 October, five cases have been reported – one confirmed case, one probable case with an epidemiological link to the confirmed case, and three suspected cases including two health workers."

The virus, which is spread through bodily fluids, is highly…

"Since gaining independence in 1962, Uganda has provided asylum to people fleeing war and persecution in neighboring countries, especially South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Rwanda and Burundi. Uganda’s progressive refugee policy grant refugees freedom of movement, the right to seek employment and establish businesses, and to access public services such as education, health care and justice."

Refugees and asylum demographics

Real Medicine Foundation has been serving Ugandans, Ugandan IDPs and refugees from other African nations since April 26th, 2008, when the RMF team first…

USA Today wrote a piece featuring the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda. The writer, Julian Hattam, interviewed RMF Uganda Country Director Naku Charles Lwanga about his thoughts concerning the refugees assimilating into the Ugandan communities.

“They have been integrated within the community,” said Naku Charles Lwanga, the Uganda country director for the Real Medicine Foundation, which operates in Bidi Bidi. “Sometimes it is very difficult to identify who’s a refugee and who is a Ugandan. If the policy remains friendly the way it is, the refugees after maybe 10 years [or] 20 years, they’re…

Photo: Dan Kitwood, Getty Images

Public Radio International wrote a piece featuring the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda as part of their Seeking Security: Human Stories from a World in Conflict series. The writer, Julian Hattam, interviewed RMF Uganda Country Director Naku Charles Lwanga about his thoughts concerning the refugees assimilating into the Ugandan communities.

“They have been integrated within the community,” said Naku Charles Lwanga, the Uganda country director for the Real Medicine Foundation, which operates in Bidi Bidi. “Sometimes it is very difficult to identify who’s a refugee and who is a Ugandan.…

Photo by Trocaire

BY JACOB WIRTSCHAFTER

The Jewish Journal recently highlighted the largest refugee settlement in the world; Bidibidi Refugee Settlement. They mentioned that Real Medicine Foundation is one of the organizations that have responded to the needs of those fleeing their homes.

"Jewish aid groups are part of a worldwide response to deal with a humanitarian crisis that rivals others that have gained more attention through political conflict and media coverage. The groups include the Los Angeles-based Real Medicine Foundation and the American Refugee Committee of Minneapolis, as well as the Uganda-based…

The UNHCR published their weekly response to the refugees and asylum seekers within Uganda. Here are some of the alarming statistics.

Voice of America interviewed Dr. Martina Fuchs about Real Medicine Foundation’s role in Uganda. Here is a small excerpt…

Dr. Martina Fuchs is the CEO and founder of Real Medicine Foundation (RMF), the humanitarian aid and development organization tasked with providing much of the health care in Uganda’s Bidibidi, now the largest refugee settlement in Africa. The settlement hosts more than 272,000 South Sudanese refugees.

“The largest disease burden is malaria, a very large percentage, especially in children and then also pregnant women with malaria,” said Fuchs. “So malaria is the…

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Bidibidi: The Largest Refugee Settlement in the World

The Guardian on Bidibidi

In an article on the South Sudanese refugee crisis in Uganda, Uganda at breaking point as Bidi Bidi becomes world’s largest refugee camp, The Guardian notes,

"The stream of arrivals, who averaged 2,800 each day in March, has begun to take a toll on the country’s southern neighbour Uganda, host to roughly half of the 1.6 million people forced to flee their homes.

Uganda is feeling the neglect. The country has one of the world’s most compassionate…

Arrival Numbers Continue to Increase

In its latest update, the UNHCR reports that 12,889 South Sudanese refugees arrived in Uganda in just one week: January 18, 2017 to January 24, 2017. The report explains, "The arrival rate has continued to increase, with a daily average of 1,841 new arrivals, compared to 1,689 in the previous week." New arrivals are being sent to Palorinya Settlement in Moyo district, which has received 56,947 refugees since December 9, 2016. Continued progress is reported in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement (where RMF is UNHCR/OPM Health Implementing Partner) and other locations.

Bidibidi…

Ambassador’s Onsite Visit to Refugee Settlement

Understanding and Compassion for Daily Challenges of Bidibidi

US Ambassador to Uganda, Deborah R. Malac, has applauded RMF for our health care program in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda. The ambassador, who visited the settlement on January 6th, 2017, had the desire to extend the compassion of the American people to refugees living in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement and to personally experience and appreciate the challenges faced by refugees on a daily basis.

Ambassador Malac visited some of the health facilities operated by RMF in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement…

646,115 South Sudan refugees and asylum-seekers in country

407,343 South Sudan new arrivals since July 2016

Uganda: South Sudan Refugee Situation Infographic

The number of Burundian refugees, many of whom are women and children, "fleeing violence, threats, extrajudicial killings, abduction, torture and persecution" has now surpassed 300,000. This press briefing from UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler further explains that resources for refugees are already overstretched in surrounding host countries, and additional support is urgently needed for the steady (and in some cases, increasing) number of new arrivals. Currently, Burundian refugees are seeking asylum in the following countries:

In its latest emergency update, the UNHCR reports that the number of South Sudanese refugees fleeing to Uganda has significantly increased in the past 7 days: "24,814 people arrived in the last week, compared to 18,703 and 17,133 in the previous two weeks." The report further explains:

The number of South Sudanese refugees fleeing to Uganda rose even higher over the past 2 days, September 5, 2016 and September 6, 2016. News from the latest UNHCR emergency report includes:

In the course of 2 days, September 1, 2016 and September 2, 2016, the UNHCR’s emergency update reports that 3,838 new South Sudanese refugees arrived in Uganda. The update explains further:

The South Sudanese refugee crisis continues, with 4,854 people fleeing to Uganda in the course of 3 days. The UNHCR emergency update reports that from August 27, 2016 to Autust 29, 2016:

Since the fighting began again in Juba, South Sudan in early July 2016, thousands of South Sudanese have been fleeing the country. By July 28, 2016, the time of this report, 45,891 of these refugees had arrived in Uganda. Hundreds and thousands of new arrivals enter Uganda each day, filling transit centers, reception centers, and refugee camps to overflowing. On July 28, 2016, UNHCR’s emergency update reports:

In light of more armed conflict in South Sudan, UNHCR’s inter-agency report states that "Uganda has so far not received a significant increase in refugee influxes from South Sudan." This could be because, "according to refugees, despite the ceasefire between government troops and armed groups, the road from Juba to Uganda continues to have a number of road blocks and checkpoints, hindering people’s abilities to move freely." However, "Uganda continues to make preparations for a significant increase in new arrivals once passage is possible at main border points. NFIs and food for at least 10,000 individuals are being transported…

The Real Medicine Foundation is at work in one of the largest refugee settlements in Uganda, Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, as Implementing Partner for Healthcare for UNHCR.

Watch Uganda: ‘One of the best places to be a refugee’ by clicking HERE

" On behalf of the UNHCR Representative to Uganda, please find below a link to a recent article that aired on BBC Worlds News on Uganda’s approach to refugee management and protection. The video formed part of the BBC’s current ‘People on the Move’ series, covering forced displacement and migration in the lead up to the…

On behalf of the UNHCR Representative to Uganda, please find attached the latest UNHCR Uganda updates on the Burundi.

Highlights:

Burundi

Inter-agency Meeting October 15, 2015 Presentation

REHOPE 2 Page Brief

A few students from the Social Enterprise class at Occidental College, taught by Sherry Simpson Dean, have put together this fundraiser for us. We’re hoping to raise enough money to build soccer fields for the refugees at the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement in Uganda. Check it out!

The latest news from our friends at Hiccup Circus Uganda…

Dear friend of Hiccup Circus Uganda.

With an upcoming three-weeks school break we are excited to push along side our cast to overcome struggle of producing a new spectacular stage show with our group of young circus artists. All the individual acts and stunts that our young performers have been working on will now be put into a cohesive story of hope and change, to show and inspire other youth of Uganda.

During the month of March we were luck enough to spread…

From January 13-16 Daniel Ruben Ateng Kwang, S/Inspector for Training, Curriculum and Skills Standard, visited the Panyadoli Vocational Training Program at Kiryandongo Refugee Settlment. He writes, "The purpose of this visit is to assess the progress of the skills training of the South Sudanese Refugees at Panyadoli Vocational Technical Institute (PVTI) in Kiryandogo Refugees Settlement, Uganda."

Please see attached PDF for his full report.

As RMF’s Jonathan White travels through Africa, you can follow him in photos. You can view Jonathan’s complete collection of photos with short descriptions here.

Related Initiatives: Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement Project Mama Kevina Comprehensive Secondary School Project, Tororo, Uganda