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Humanitarian Crisis Looms In Rebel Infested Region

African Church Information Service
NEWS
February 17, 2003
Posted to the web February 17, 2003

By Crespo Sebunya
Kampla
Humanitarian situation in northern Uganda is becoming catastrophic as the World
Food Programme says it is short of nearly 90,000 tonnes of food to feed
displaced people.
An assessment covering the first six months of 2003 indicates that World Food
Programme (WFP) needs 108,000 tonnes of food valued at $59m to feed 800,000
IDPs (internally displaced persons) and 150,000 refugees, but that there is a
pipeline shortfall of 87,329 tonnes. Consequently, the agency has drastically
cut down on food supplies.
"WFP has been forced to completely suspend cereals distribution to IDPs in
northern Uganda and reduce cereals distribution for refugees by 50 percent due
to serious cereal pipeline shortfall," a January-June 2003 WFP report released
on January 29 said.
The UN agency is sceptical about the efficacy of government peace programmes in
the region.
It states that the two-pronged approach by Uganda government's to eliminate
Joseph Kony's Lords Resistance Army (LRA), which includes peaceful negotiations
and military operations in southern Sudan and northern Uganda respectively, is
unlikely to improve humanitarian situation.
"There is continued presence of IDPs in the camps and increased vulnerability,
and also widening food gaps for drought affected communities and refugee
settlements affected by LRA," the WFP report says.
The government, however, says it is on top of the situation. Military spokesman
Major Shaban Bantaliza says only 500 rebels remain, compared to 3,000 at the
beginning of operations against LRA in March last year.
President Yoweri Museveni has predicted that 2003 will be a peaceful year, and
that LRA will be no more by April.
Uganda government is confident that Sudan will extend support to its forces,
Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF). A ministerial delegation left for
Khartoum on February 5 for a three-day meeting to review progress in bilateral
relations and seek ways of strengthening it.
Meanwhile, pressure is building up to compel the government to hold dialogue
with for rebels. Six Ugandan Members of Parliament from northern Uganda
recently visited London and lobbied the British government to put pressure on
Uganda government to talk to LRA.
International agencies, non-governmental organisations and the Catholic Church
also favour peace talks.

   

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