Thousands fleeing to northern Uganda The deadly fighting in South Sudan has created enormous challenges for neighbouring Uganda. From food shortage to water-borne diseases, the humanitarian needs are greater than ever before. Text and photo: Sofi Lundin “We ran for our lives to avoid being killed. I spent all the money I had to bring my children to safety in Uganda,” says Agnes Drabua (35). She is one among thousands of refugees who crossed the border into neighbouring Uganda last month. According to the latest figures from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 69,215 South Sudanese refugees have crossed into Uganda since the recent fighting erupted on 7 July. That is more than twice the number of people who came during the year’s first six months. Reception centres can no longer cope with the extraordinary influx of refugees. Humanitarian organisations and the authori-ties are doing everything they can to meet the needs, but they lack resources. “The large number of refugees has put enormous pressure on our resources. We do everything we can to assist, so that the aid reaches those in need, but it is extremely challenging. We do not have enough staff and the economic resources are too scarce to cover all the needs,” says Emmanuel Adowa who works at the NRC office in Adjumani. Reducing food rations The open square by the Nyumanzi reception centre is crowded. The reception centre, which is de-signed to accommodate around 2,000 refugees, is today home to more than 13,000 South Suda-nese refugees. “The centre is overflowing and we can no longer provide enough food to people residing here. In August, we have been forced to reduce food distributions by half to those who are already resi-dents, in order to be able to help the new arrivals,” says Albert Alumbi, settlement coordinator at the government office in Nyumanzi. Cholera outbreak About 90 percent of all South Sudanese refugees in Uganda are women and children. Agnes Drabua (35) sits together with her five children in the newly opened settlement Pagirinya. As the majority of women here, she came alone with her children across the border. “We are peaceful people. I only want peace and a safe future for my children,” says Drabua. The Pagrinya settlement is only a few weeks old, but already home to over 27,000 people. A chol-era outbreak few days ago has put even greater pressure on resources in the area. “At first, we identified two patients with cholera. Now, the figures have risen to 37 people and the cholera team in the area is working hard to stop it from spreading,” said Ahmed Rasul, health worker at the clinic in Pagrinya. “We have been forced to establish strict procedures for hygiene. The big challenge is that the set-tlement is full. We are deploying people from here to the newest settlement in Yumbe, says Vincent Amaroma, settlement assistant at the government office in Pagrinya. Food crisis South Sudan is today one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. According to UNHCR, close to a million refugees have crossed the border into neighbouring Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya. Inside the country, nearly two million people are displaced. The refugees coming across the border tell of brutal killings, rebels burning down houses, and military stealing peoples’ money. At the border in Elegu, the last days have been less hectic, but the steady stream of refugees continues to pass. Although the conflicts in South Sudan have subsided since the battles broke out in early July, the situation is still tense. “Yesterday, several police officers came across the border with their families. This says something about the security situation in the country. Now that the fighting has calmed down, one of the main reasons why people flee is food shortage. We still have room for more, but it will not last for long,” says Frida Kajoki, registration officer at Elegu. Born a refugee Alice Digama (24) is sitting on the tent floor with her two-week-old baby. Her son is one of many children born a refugee. The new-born is breathing heavily. It is blazing hot inside the tent. Digama was heavily pregnant when she escaped and crossed the border, after her husband left her for an-other wife. Now she dreams of a peaceful life and a secure future for her son. “I'm so tired of the war. I cannot stand to be afraid anymore. Now, I think about my boy's future. I hope he will be fine,” says Digama. While the number of refugees in South Sudan’s neighbouring country Uganda is increasing, the war continues to ravage the world's youngest country. Text og photo: NRC/ Sofi Lundin
Flyktninger fra Sør-Sudan ankommer mottakssenteret Nyumanzi nord i Uganda. De fleste er kvinner og barn. Foto: Flyktninghjelpen/ Sofi Lundin

Sprengt kapasitet når tusener flykter til Uganda

Sofi Lundin|Publisert 23. aug 2016
Sør-Sudan Uganda Neglisjerte konflikter Beskyttelse Krig og konflikt
Krigen i Sør-Sudan har skapt enorme utfordringer for nabolandet Uganda. Nå er de humanitære behovene større enn noen gang, og kapasiteten til hjelpearbeiderne er sprengt.
Video: Flyktninghjelpen/Sofi Lundin

– Vi løp for våre liv for å ikke bli drept. Jeg brukte alle pengene jeg hadde for å føre barna mine i sikkerhet i Uganda, sier Agnes Drabua (35). Hun er én av mange tusen flyktninger som tatt seg over grensen til nabolandet den siste måneden.

Ifølge ferske tall fra FNs høykommissær for flyktninger, har over 85.000 sørsudanske flyktninger tatt seg over grensen til nabolandet Uganda siden de nye stridene brøt ut den 7.juli. Det er mer enn dobbelt så mange som kom under årets første seks måneder. Kapasiteten på mottakssentrene for flyktninger er sprengt. Humanitære organisasjoner og myndighetene gjør alt de kan for å dekke behovene, men de mangler resurser.

– Det store antallet flyktninger har lagt et enormt press på ressursene våre. Vi gjør alt vi kan for å bistå, slik at hjelpen når frem, men det er store utfordringer. Vi har ikke nok medarbeidere og de økonomiske ressursene er for knappe til å dekke alle behovene, sier Emmanuel Adowa ved Flyktninghjelpens kontor i Adjumani.

About 90 percent of all South Sudanese refugees in Uganda are women and children. Agnes Drabua (35) sits together with her five children in the newly opened settlement Pagirinya. As the majority of women here, she came alone with her children across the border. “We are peaceful people. I only want peace and a safe future for my children,” says Drabua. ------- Thousands fleeing to northern Uganda The deadly fighting in South Sudan has created enormous challenges for neighbouring Uganda. From food shortage to water-borne diseases, the humanitarian needs are greater than ever before. Text and photo: Sofi Lundin “We ran for our lives to avoid being killed. I spent all the money I had to bring my children to safety in Uganda,” says Agnes Drabua (35). She is one among thousands of refugees who crossed the border into neighbouring Uganda last month. According to the latest figures from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 69,215 South Sudanese refugees have crossed into Uganda since the recent fighting erupted on 7 July. That is more than twice the number of people who came during the year’s first six months. Reception centres can no longer cope with the extraordinary influx of refugees. Humanitarian organisations and the authori-ties are doing everything they can to meet the needs, but they lack resources. “The large number of refugees has put enormous pressure on our resources. We do everything we can to assist, so that the aid reaches those in need, but it is extremely challenging. We do not have enough staff and the economic resources are too scarce to cover all the needs,” says Emmanuel Adowa who works at the NRC office in Adjumani. Reducing food rations The open square by the Nyumanzi reception centre is crowded. The reception centre, which is de-signed to accommodate around 2,000 refugees, is today home to more than 13,000 South Suda-nese refugees. “The centre is overflowing and we can no longer provide enough food to people residing here. In August, we have been forced to reduce food distributions by half to those who are already resi-dents, in order to be able to help the new arrivals,” says Albert Alumbi, settlement coordinator at the government office in Nyumanzi. Cholera outbreak About 90 percent of all South Sudanese refugees in Uganda are women and children. Agnes Drabua (35) sits together with her five children in the newly opened settlement Pagirinya. As the majority of women here, she came alone with her children across the border. “We are peaceful people. I only want peace and a safe future for my children,” says Drabua. The Pagrinya settlement is only a few weeks old, but already home to over 27,000 people. A chol-era outbreak few days ago has put even greater pressure on resources in the area. “At first, we identified two patients with cholera. Now, the figures have risen to 37 people and the cholera team in the area is working hard to stop it from spreading,” said Ahmed Rasul, health worker at the clinic in Pagrinya. “We have been forced to establish strict procedures for hygiene. The big challenge is that the set-tlement is full. We are deploying people from here to the newest settlement in Yumbe, says Vincent Amaroma, settlement assistant at the government office in Pagrinya. Food crisis South Sudan is today one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. According to UNHCR, close to a million refugees have crossed the border into neighbouring Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya. Inside the country, nearly two million people are displaced. The refugees coming across the border tell of brutal killings, rebels burning down houses, and military stealing peoples’ money. At the border in Elegu, the last days have been less hectic, but the steady stream of refugees continues to pass. Although the conflicts in South Sudan have subsided since the battles broke out in early July, the situation is still tense. “Yesterday, several police officers came across the border with their families. This says something about the security situation in the country. Now that the fighting has calmed down, one of the main reasons why people flee is food shortage. We still have room for more, but it will not last for long,” says Frida Kajoki, registration officer at Elegu. Born a refugee Alice Digama (24) is sitting on the tent floor with her two-week-old baby. Her son is one of many children born a refugee. The new-born is breathing heavily. It is blazing hot inside the tent. Digama was heavily pregnant when she escaped and crossed the border, after her husband left her for an-other wife. Now she dreams of a peaceful life and a secure future for her son. “I'm so tired of the war. I cannot stand to be afraid anymore. Now, I think about my boy's future. I hope he will be fine,” says Digama. While the number of refugees in South Sudan’s neighbouring country Uganda is increasing, the war continues to ravage the world's youngest country. Text og photo: NRC/Sofi Lundin
Agnes Drabua (35) flyktet til Uganda sammen med sine fem barn da konfliktene brøt ut igjen i Sør-Sudan i juli. Nå venter hun på plass i en av bosetningene. Foto: Flyktninghjelpen/ Sofi Lundin

Halverer matrasjonene

Ute på den åpne plassen er det trangt. Mottakssenteret Nyumanzi, som er laget for å kunne ta imot rundt 2000 flyktninger, er i dag hjem til over 13.000 sørsudanske flyktninger.

– Senteret er sprengfullt og vi klarer ikke lenger å gi folk nok mat. Nå i august er vi blitt nødt til å halvere matdistribusjonen til dem som allerede er bosatt her for å klare å hjelpe de nyankomne, sier Albert Alumbi, som er bosetningskoordinator ved myndighetenes kontor i
Nyumanzi.

Vi er fredelige folk. Jeg ønsker bare fred og en trygg fremtid for mine barn.
Agnes Drabua, sørsudansk flyktning

Kolera-utbrudd

Rundt 90 prosent av alle de sørsudanske flyktningene i Uganda er kvinner og barn. Agnes Drabua (35) sitter med de fem barna rundt seg i den nyåpnede bosetningen Pagirinya. Som majoriteten av kvinner her kom hun alene med barna over grensa.

– Vi er fredelige folk. Jeg ønsker bare fred og en trygg fremtid for mine barn, sier Drabua.

Bosetningen Pagrinya er bare uker gammel, men allerede hjem til over 27.000. Et kolerautbrudd for få dager siden har lagt et enda større press på ressursene i området.

– Vi identifiserte først to pasienter med kolera. Nå er tallet steget til 37 personer og kolera-teamet i området jobber hardt for å stoppe spredning, sier Ahmed Rasul, helsearbeider på klinikken i Pagrinya.

– Vi har blitt nødt til å etablere strikte rutiner for hygiene. Den store utfordringen er at bosetningen er så full. Vi jobber nå med å få omplassert folk herfra til den nyeste bosetningen i området Yumbe, sier Vincent Amaroma, bosetningsassistent ved myndighetenes kontor i Pagrinya.

Den store utfordringen er at bosetningen er så full.
Vincent Amaroma, bosetningsassistent

Flykter fra matmangel

Sør-Sudan er i dag en av verdens største humanitære kriser. Ifølge FNs høykommissær for flyktninger har bortimot én million flyktninger tatt seg over grensen til nabolandene Sudan, Uganda, Etiopia og Kenya. Inne i landet er over 1,6 millioner mennesker på flukt. Flyktningene som kommer over grensa forteller om brutale drap, rebeller som brenner ned hus og militæret som presser folk på penger.

På grensa i Elegu har de siste dagene vært mindre hektiske, men det passerer fortsatt en jevn strøm med flyktninger. Selv om konfliktene i Sør-Sudan har roet seg siden stridene brøt ut i begynnelsen av juli, er situasjonen fremdeles spent.

– I går kom flere politifolk over grensa med familiene sine. Det sier litt om sikkerhetssituasjonen i landet. Nå som stridene har roet seg, er matmangel en av de viktigste grunnene til at folk flykter. Vi har fortsatt plass til flere, men snart er det stopp, sier Frida Kajoki, registreringsansvarlig ved Elegu.

Alice Digama (24) is sitting on the tent floor with her two-week-old baby. Her son is one of many children born a refugee. The new-born is breathing heavily. It is blazing hot inside the tent. Digama was heavily pregnant when she escaped and crossed the border, after her husband left her for an-other wife. Now she dreams of a peaceful life and a secure future for her son. “I'm so tired of the war. I cannot stand to be afraid anymore. Now, I think about my boy's future. I hope he will be fine,” says Digama. While the number of refugees in South Sudan’s neighbouring country Uganda is increasing, the war continues to ravage the world's youngest country. ------ Thousands fleeing to northern Uganda The deadly fighting in South Sudan has created enormous challenges for neighbouring Uganda. From food shortage to water-borne diseases, the humanitarian needs are greater than ever before. Text and photo: Sofi Lundin “We ran for our lives to avoid being killed. I spent all the money I had to bring my children to safety in Uganda,” says Agnes Drabua (35). She is one among thousands of refugees who crossed the border into neighbouring Uganda last month. According to the latest figures from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 69,215 South Sudanese refugees have crossed into Uganda since the recent fighting erupted on 7 July. That is more than twice the number of people who came during the year’s first six months. Reception centres can no longer cope with the extraordinary influx of refugees. Humanitarian organisations and the authori-ties are doing everything they can to meet the needs, but they lack resources. “The large number of refugees has put enormous pressure on our resources. We do everything we can to assist, so that the aid reaches those in need, but it is extremely challenging. We do not have enough staff and the economic resources are too scarce to cover all the needs,” says Emmanuel Adowa who works at the NRC office in Adjumani. Reducing food rations The open square by the Nyumanzi reception centre is crowded. The reception centre, which is de-signed to accommodate around 2,000 refugees, is today home to more than 13,000 South Suda-nese refugees. “The centre is overflowing and we can no longer provide enough food to people residing here. In August, we have been forced to reduce food distributions by half to those who are already resi-dents, in order to be able to help the new arrivals,” says Albert Alumbi, settlement coordinator at the government office in Nyumanzi. Cholera outbreak About 90 percent of all South Sudanese refugees in Uganda are women and children. Agnes Drabua (35) sits together with her five children in the newly opened settlement Pagirinya. As the majority of women here, she came alone with her children across the border. “We are peaceful people. I only want peace and a safe future for my children,” says Drabua. The Pagrinya settlement is only a few weeks old, but already home to over 27,000 people. A chol-era outbreak few days ago has put even greater pressure on resources in the area. “At first, we identified two patients with cholera. Now, the figures have risen to 37 people and the cholera team in the area is working hard to stop it from spreading,” said Ahmed Rasul, health worker at the clinic in Pagrinya. “We have been forced to establish strict procedures for hygiene. The big challenge is that the set-tlement is full. We are deploying people from here to the newest settlement in Yumbe, says Vincent Amaroma, settlement assistant at the government office in Pagrinya. Food crisis South Sudan is today one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. According to UNHCR, close to a million refugees have crossed the border into neighbouring Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya. Inside the country, nearly two million people are displaced. The refugees coming across the border tell of brutal killings, rebels burning down houses, and military stealing peoples’ money. At the border in Elegu, the last days have been less hectic, but the steady stream of refugees continues to pass. Although the conflicts in South Sudan have subsided since the battles broke out in early July, the situation is still tense. “Yesterday, several police officers came across the border with their families. This says something about the security situation in the country. Now that the fighting has calmed down, one of the main reasons why people flee is food shortage. We still have room for more, but it will not last for long,” says Frida Kajoki, registration officer at Elegu. Born a refugee Alice Digama (24) is sitting on the tent floor with her two-week-old baby. Her son is one of many children born a refugee. The new-born is breathing heavily. It is blazing hot inside the tent. Digama was heavily pregnant when she escaped and crossed the border, after her husband left her for an-other wife. Now she dreams of a peaceful life and a secure future for her son. “I'm so tired of the war. I cannot stand to be afraid anymore. Now, I think about my boy's future. I hope he will be fine,” says Digama. While the number of refugees in South Sudan’s neighbouring country Uganda is increasing, the war continues to ravage the world's youngest country. Text og photo: NRC/Sofi Lundin
Alice Dramas sønn ble født for to uker siden. Han er en av mange barn født på flukt. Foto: Flyktninghjelpen/ Sofi Lundin

Født på flukt

På gulvet i et telt sitter Alice Drama (24) med sin to uker gamle baby. Sønnen hennes er ett av mange barn som er født på flukt. Den nyfødte puster tungt. Inne i teltet er det stekende varmt. Drama flyktet høygravid over grensen etter at mannen forlot henne for en annen kone. Nå drømmer hun om et fredelig liv og en trygg fremtid for sin sønn.

– Jeg er så lei av krigen. Jeg orker ikke lenger å være redd. Nå tenker jeg på fremtiden til gutten min. Jeg håper den blir fin, sier Drama.

Mens flyktningene i Sør Sudans naboland Uganda blir stadig flere, fortsetter krigen å herje i verdens yngste land.

 

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