The number of refugees from South Sudan entering Uganda has now surpassed 60,000. Recently Lisa Henry, Humanitarian Director, DanChurchAid, was in Adjumani to monitor how the ACT Alliance is responding to the emergency providing life-saving water, hygiene and sanitation to the refugees who have arrived in Adjumani.
In Adjumani the refugees from South Sudan are being moved from reception centres to settlements. The blazing sun cuts through the endless dust clouds whirled up by refugees walking and trucks transporting supplies. Small structures, some sticks with plastic covering, others with strong poles and completed grass roofs are scattered around the Nyumanzi Settlement, where a plot of land size 30 by 30 meters, is allocated to each family by the Office of the Prime Minister.
Lisa Henry, DCA’s Humanitarian Director has come to visit Adjumani to see for herself, how the ACT Alliance member LWF with DCA’s contribution is responding to the emergency.
Setting a good example
As we enter the Nyumanzi Settlement, a young couple are already hard at work constructing their new home. 26-year-old Achiek Michael and his wife Amer Rebecca, 25, are busy constructing a squared, grass-roofed house as we pass by them. It looks more permanent than most other shelters in the settlement.
“I want to protect my children, I am worried about them. I did not come with money but in the village I was taught how to build, at least now I can build a house for my family,” says Achiek Michael, as he carefully places the bamboo sticks which he has collected from the forest and his wife is cutting in between the poles of tree to make the walls in their home.
We wish the family good luck with their new life in Uganda, and continue through the dusty roads deeper into the settlement.
“I am impressed how a young generation like this couple can manage to escape the war, keep their family together and now be so resourceful. They are taking initiative and working together and they set a good example here. They are parents and have pride in their home,” Lisa Henry says, as she reflects over the meeting.
Cash intervention
According to Lisa Henry, it is important to also consider the long-term solution, a sustainable future, like this young couple do.
“DCA will assess the possibilities of using a cash intervention to address the need for sustainability. With a cash intervention this family can make their own decision about what they prioritize as they move forward in the next months. Our greatest hope is of course that they will be able to return to their home, but for now we need to ensure they live a dignified life,” Lisa says.
Urgent need for water
A couple of hundred meters from where we met the young couple a group of women are waiting at a big water tank. An endless line of water containers shows the urgent need for water.
“I have been waiting here for water for 6 days, I have not had a shower and I do not have water enough for cooking,” says an elder woman at the water tank, which is dangerously near to empty.
Currently there is only 7,3 litre of water per person in Nyumanzi Settlement, yet the SPHERE standards recommend 10-15 litre per person per day.
“Water is critical, in this heat and dust. There is a long way to go, we need 200 boreholes if we are to meet the standards but if we could at least get 80 or 100 water points functioning that would be help. And I do believe we can do that through ACT Alliance, but there is urgent need for more support,” Lisa Henry emphasize.
LWF’s impressive work
LWF was among the first to arrive to Adjumani. Many have acknowledged this, not least the UNHCR in Adjumani.
“LWF was very responsive and today we were going to do NFI distribution and when the figure doubled, they were still able to respond,” says Emergency Response Team Leader Amr Marei from UNHCR in Adjumani.
He also emphasize the continued need for support, as 200-300 people daily enter the border from South Sudan, and a total of around 100-150,000 people are expected to arrive.
“The people who arrive now, are those who waited in vain, those that were not reached, and therefore they are more vulnerable than others,” Amr of UNHCR says.
Understanding the right to involvement
Through the ACT Alliance, LWF has responded by drilling 6 boreholes, 2 of them finalized, as well as by rehabilitating of 4 boreholes in Nyumanzi Settlement.
LWF also provided 5 blocks of latrines and 5 blocks of bathing shelters and constructed 10 community shelters, which can hold 120 people each in Nyumanzi Reception Centre.
In Baratuku, a new settlement site, newly arrived refugees are receiving NFI’s from LWF, who have been selected to be in charge of NFI distribution in Adjumani. The items in the NFI kit are a combination of items donated by UNICEF, UNHCR and ACT. ACT Alliance members contributed with plastic cups, plates, jericans and laundry soap.
“I must say I am proud to see that our ACT Alliance partner LWF, are so fast in their response. They assessed and started implementing water point rehabilitation and NFI distribution within 10 days. The LWF team are also very flexible, adapting plans as the Ugandan officials and UNHCR staff change instructions. LWF work with great respect and compassion to their work, they give people the possibility to complain and to be held accountable. Of course it is difficult to have everything in place at once, but with this good information flow and understanding by LWF staff that refugees have a right to information and right to involvement, I am confident it is going to happen,” Lisa Henry says.
By Mai Gad