Lawrence Lutaaya, Uganda Red Cross Society
Uganda has been facing an influx of refugees coming from Kenya because of the civil unrest and ethnic conflict that followed the results of the Kenyan presidential election.
Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has so far supported over 2,228 Kenyan families in the towns of Malaba and Busia with basic non food items such as blankets, soap, jerry cans, mosquito nets and cooking utensils. The URCS Central Governing Board Chairman, Mr Tom Buruku, launched the distribution exercise on Friday 4 January in the towns of Malaba, Busia and Lwakaka.
Most of the refugees urgently need food as well as access to clean and safe water. Uganda Red Cross Society, through its branch structures, has been quick to assess the needs and provide some of the basic requirements to the refugees.
URCS identified the needs to support around 433 households (1,343 people) in Malaba, 340 households (1,462 people) in Busia and 60 households (300 people) in Lwakaka with non-food items. A registration exercise of the refugees is being carried out.
URCS also supported 230 Kenyan university students who are stranded at SDA Kireka Primary School.
Mr Buruku accompanied by the URCS Secretary General, Ms Alice Anukur and the Public Relations Officer, Ms Catherine Ntabadde, visited the students and distributed non-food items such as mattresses and mosquito nets to the students through the URCS Kampala East branch. The students, who were attending the all universities conference in Rwanda, were denied access home.
URCS’s major challenges so far have been scarcity of fuel with a three-fold increase in prices. It also needs extra funding to run an effective operation.
The National Society is coordinating with partners like UNHCR, the World Health Organization, the affected districts authorities and UN-OCHA through the Office of the Prime Minister to ensure an effective and collective operation. An appeal could be launched later in case the situation worsens.
On 8 January, the International Federation released 200,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Uganda Red Cross Society in delivering immediate assistance to 3,000 beneficiaries.
The operation is expected to last for two months.