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Uganda

Promote the integration of ser- vices for refugees into existing national structures and continue to promote the self-reliance stra- tegy, (SRS); encourage develop- ment agencies to incorporate the SRS into their programmes for refugees and Ugandan nationals; ensure international protection and continue to promote resettle- ment as a durable solution for eligible refugees; provide material assistance to refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.

Impact

• Some 24 per cent of refugees attained a measure of food self-sufficiency in 2001; by contrast, 41 per cent had to continue to receive undimini- shed food rations. • Under the SRS objectives, health, education and envi- ronment issues continued to be tackled (with varying degrees of success). • UNHCR co-operated with six operational partners to ensure the smooth delivery of programme activities for southern Sudan, the remainder from Rwanda, both refugees and nationals in Adjumani and the DRC, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Moyo districts. Somalia. During the year, there was a new influx • UNHCR continued to ensure effective protec- of 13,439 refugees. Political calm and a natural tion and provision of material assistance and affinity between the local population and refugees counselling to urban refugees in Kampala. have ensured good relationships (sometimes going as far back as 1993) mainly in northern Uganda. Working Environment A countrywide decentralisation process gave each The Context local district the power to plan its own development activities, known as District Development Plan There were 179,736 registered refugees in (DDP). The current DDPs run from 1999 to 2002 and Uganda in 2001; 90 per cent of them came from have continued to recognise the SRS as a major

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development tool for refugees. Nevertheless, mis- tion training for all personnel dealing with the conceptions surrounding the SRS have continued to issue. impede its full implementation at district levels. Some local authorities see the SRS as an exit strate- Constraints gy for UNHCR, and fear that districts will be bur- dened to breaking point, with the requirement to Funding remains a major challenge to SRS devel- accommodate refugees as well as their own citizens. opment. Although all stakeholders (including Others see the SRS as a gateway allowing refugees donors) unanimously support the SRS objectives, it to be naturalised as Ugandan citizens even when remained a severe challenge to persuade donors to conditions in their home countries have improved. continue to provide development resources to dis- tricts after local authorities declared themselves The physical safety of refugees in Uganda was a willing to integrate services for refugees into their Uganda matter of great concern. There were more attacks in own plans. Financial contributions for develop- and around the settlements in 2001 and efforts ment from international donors have not been as were made to strengthen security. UNHCR record- forthcoming as anticipated. Savings on food aid ed rebel incursions leading to deaths and serious and other humanitarian assistance activities would injury of refugees, mainly in the north and west. justify contributions towards the additional expen- diture by district authorities, but there is no simple Uganda continued to apply liberal asylum policies mechanism of transferring savings from humani- towards refugees. However, a new policy intro- tarian budgets to development budgets. duced in 2001 required Sudanese asylum-seekers to report and register at settlements nearest to their UNHCR continued to meet increased resistance by point of entry into Uganda. The policy was local authorities to further land allocation to designed to make protection accessible to refugees refugees whose families are expanding yearly. immediately upon arrival. There were no cases of Moreover, the national population is increasingly refoulement known to UNHCR during the year. encroaching upon refugee-designated land, which Rejected asylum seekers were given 90 days to is also declining in productivity due to overuse. In appeal and those whose appeal failed were 1998, it was envisaged that by the end of 2001, allowed to remain in the country with unclear sta- almost all refugees living in settlements, with land tus. UNHCR organised many training sessions to allocated, would be completely self-sufficient in promote the rights of refugees in Uganda. The par- food; however, by the end of 2001, only 24 per cent ticipants were drawn from refugee communities, of refugees were able to produce their own food government and implementing partners. In addi- whilst 76 per cent still depended on some form of tion, UNHCR facilitated refugee status determina- food rationing.

Persons of Concern The programme suffered not Total Of whom Per cent Per cent only from current financial Main Origin/ in Country UNHCR Female under 18 Type of Population assisted problems in 2001, but also from Sudan (Refugees) 176,800 156,800 48 57 uncertainty over future funding. Rwanda (Refugees) 14,300 14,300 48 60 The consequent staff cuts under DRC (Refugees) 7,600 7,600 49 58 Action 2 resulted in a lack of Somalia (Refugees) 820 820 50 44 personnel for monitoring and implementation of the pro- gramme in some areas. Income and Expenditure (USD) Annual Programme Budget and Trust Funds Revised Income from Other Funds Total Funds Total Funding Budget Contributions1 Available2 Available Expenditure AB & TF 16,963,229 6,192,857 8,213,094 14,405,951 14,404,450 Following the budget revision in 1 Includes income from contributions restricted at the country level. April, the programme lost 14 per 2 Includes allocations by UNHCR from unearmarked or broadly earmarked contributions, opening balance cent of its total operational and adjustments. The above figures do not include costs at Headquarters. budget. This meant that activities

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in some sectors had to be deferred or cancelled. In after three years; and children can register as addressing these issues, UNHCR lost valuable time Ugandan citizens if one parent is Ugandan-born; in programme implementation during the first half but there are no other ways for a refugee to become of the year. a citizen. The period spent in Uganda by a refugee does not count as residence under the citizenship laws; consequently, long-staying refugees have no Achievements and Impact claim to citizenship. The provisions apply equally to their children. Therefore, under the existing law Protection and Solutions the chances of integration are extremely limited. Uganda

For the majority of refugees in Uganda, in particu- UNHCR increased its focus on resettlement during lar, the large number of Sudanese, the prospects for the reporting period in order to meet the challenges return continued to be remote: fighting between faced by refugees whose physical safety and securi- the Sudanese Government and the Sudanese Peo- ty could not be guaranteed by the Government. ple’s Liberation Army (SPLA) still continues. Simi- Many of the refugees claim to have held high larly, unfavourable conditions for return prevail in profile positions in their own countries, that they Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo were victims of torture, women at risk, that they (DRC). Therefore, the ongoing SRS was pursued as had medical and family reunion problems, or the only interim durable solution for Sudanese feared deportation or refoulement. Several cases were accepted for resettlement in other countries. As a consequence of a better understanding of the selection process for resettle- ment, the number of resettlement cases increased during the year.

Activities and Assistance

Community Services: Training workshops were conducted dur- ing 2001 to increase community participation in refugee issues. In Adjumani alone, 25 communi- ty meetings on care and support of vulnerable persons were con- ducted, benefiting 875 people (479 female), 53 extremely vul- nerable individuals (36 female) were helped with construction of

Water for domestic consumption had to be supplied in sufficient quantities and good their huts, while 173 vulnerable quality. Refugees at a waterpoint in Nakivale. UNHCR / B. Malik refugees (131 female) were pro- vided with non-food items. 66 refugees. It should be clearly understood that the vulnerable refugee families were given additional success of the SRS hinges on the availability of quantities of basic food supplies and sugar by WFP. ample fertile land for refugees and adequate con- 242 acres of land were made avail-able to 181 vul- tributions of development funds from major nerable refugee families and 29 community sensiti- donors and other parties. sation sessions were conducted for 1,316 refugees (926 female) on the subject of care and support for Under the Ugandan Constitution of 1995, refugees their own vulnerable persons. Communities devel- have limited prospects of citizenship. Refugees oped an increased capacity to help their own vul- married to nationals can be registered as citizens nerable people.

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Crop Production: 12,400 hectares of land was made on a loan recovery basis. Training was provided to available in Adjumani for crop production and fishermen on methods of fish processing – to 3,200 hectares in Moyo. However, due to adverse improve the quality of fish products and conse- climatic conditions, the cultivated land produced quently, increase their income-generation capacity. only 60 per cent of household food needs in Adju- mani and 73 per cent in Moyo. During the 2001 Forestry: Environmental mapping was undertaken to Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) conducted by determine appropriate conservation measures and UNHCR, WFP and the Government (Office of the steps were taken to avoid the destruction of trees Prime Minister), it was discovered that only four during house construction. Nearly seven acres of refugee locations had achieved some measure of land were planted with trees in various settlements. food self-sufficiency (Kiryandongo, Kyangwali, Environment mobilisation and awareness campaigns Moyo and Adjumani). Land in these locations, reduced environmental degradation and contributed Uganda especially in Kiryandongo and Kyangwali, is very to environmental rehabilitation. The selling of fertile and the rainfall is good. In addition, refu- seedlings generated some income for refugees. gees also have access to additional agricultural land through private arrangements with nationals. Health/Nutrition: UNHCR, through its imple- menting partners, delivered health and nutrition Domestic Needs/Household Support: Reception services, including HIV/AIDS prevention, in all centres in two settlements in the Arua district pro- refugee settlements and to individual refugees in vided new arrivals with cooked meals and shelter the urban area. A process of integrating refugee for one night, before they were registered and had services into the district health systems has been plots allocated to them. About 4,681 new arrivals initiated in each district. The emphasis was placed (1,388 families) were assisted and provided with on safe motherhood, family planning, and promo- non-food items. Some 274 refugees residing in tion of awareness of sexual and gender-based urban areas were paid monthly subsistence and violence as well as friendly health services for accommodation allowances. 2,378 refugees, who adolescents. This project fostered peer teaching of travelled to Kampala for resettlement interviews, community health workers, refugee welfare leaders, were provided with accommodation. Five houses religious leaders, traditional birth attendants, and were rented for refugees and asylum-seekers with traditional healers. The construction and repair of special security and medical concerns. health facilities was cancelled for lack of funds.

Education: Primary education of refugees was Income Generation: Refugees gained some knowl- further harmonised with the national education edge of crop production methods and applied it, system. UNHCR focused on building national sec- producing their own food and selling the surplus ondary schools to absorb refugees and provided for profit. Through the formation of savings scholarships. Income-generating activities led to an schemes, a few refugees were able to accumulate increased number of refugee parents having the funds amounting to two million Uganda Shillings financial resources to make a meaningful contribu- (equivalent of USD 1,170). Refugees trained in tion to the education of their children. In all, a total business skills used their newly acquired skills to of 18,607 children were enrolled in nursery/pre- operate their own bank accounts and lend to other school education (49 per cent girls) and 57,564 members of the community. They set up agricul- attended primary education (43 per cent girls). tural and trading associations. 103 girls from vari- Some 12,720 children were enrolled in secondary ous settlements were selected to undertake a four- education (16 per cent girls) and 378 received voca- month tailoring training programme. tional or university education (28 per cent females). Legal Assistance: Through its advice and consulta- Fisheries: Four fish-landing sites were improved tions, UNHCR made significant contributions to with the provision of fish dressing and handling the development of the draft law. But the tabling of facilities. A pit latrine and one incinerator were the Refugee Bill in Parliament did not seem to be a constructed at fish markets to improve sanitation. priority for the Government, and by year’s end the A wooden fishing boat was provided to fishermen proposed new refugee law had not yet been passed.

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In the interim, UNHCR continued to disseminate became more aware of the importance of clean the principles of refugee law, through the media water, proper sanitation and the need to maintain and through training workshops. Other training these facilities. Despite the progress made, con- workshops were dedicated to gender awareness, struction of 30 normal and 10 reinforced latrine gender discrimination and gender violence, human blocks and provision of 175 latrine slabs to refugee rights, refugee law and status determination. Par- primary schools in Adjumani were cancelled due ticipants came from refugee communities, local to the funding shortfall. This delayed the licensing and central government, NGOs and implementing of some schools by government authorities. Un- partners. licensed schools do not qualify as examination Uganda centres and consequently, refugee pupils had to Livestock: In the Moyo district, methods to improve travel long distances to sit examinations. Girls livestock management through pass-on-the-gift were exposed to the risks of being assaulted or methods and artificial insemination of livestock, abducted during such walks. resulted in 11 diary cows and five off-springs man- aged by two female and eight male refugee farm- Shelter/Other Infrastructure: Roads to existing ers. This boosted milk production and the income settlements were maintained but funding shortages for the farmers. Imported high-breed goats and led to the cancellation of: the development of a their cross-breeding benefited both the owners and potential new site to accommodate new arrivals, the surrounding communities. Barter trade of goats the construction of new roads and the repair of and cows, a common practice in the district, was social infrastructure. The cancellation of the new intensified due to increased live weight of the site meant that any influx of refugees into Arua cross-bred goats. In the Arua district, livestock dis- would have to remain on food rations indefinitely. ease/pest control investigations were carried out in the settlements. 250 units of assorted live-stock Transport/Logistics: An implementing partner drugs/medicines were procured and 12,000 goats, managed the central warehouse in Kampala, where cattle and sheep were vaccinated against various most of the relief items are stored before despatch diseases for refugees and the local communities. A to the field. The same partner also ran a fleet of workshop on livestock-housing, breeding and dis- four ten-ton trucks that delivered all relief items ease control was organised in the Rhino camp for during the year. Another NGO partner continued 40 women and 15 men. In the Adjumani district, to run the mechanical workshop for the maintenance goats and turkeys were purchased for refugee of project vehicles and motorcycles. These services farmers. Livestock for 605 men and 87 women ensured mobility throughout the year and uninter- farmers from both the refugee and host communi- rupted delivery of assistance to refugees. UNHCR ties was treated against various diseases. procured 14 vehicles and 29 motorcycles for differ- ent implementing partners during the reporting Operational Support (to Agencies): UNHCR period. covered some of its implementing partners’ admin- istrative costs and organised training sessions in Water: In Adjumani and Moyo districts, where 45 financial management and environmental resource per cent of refugees reside, water of good quality management. for domestic consumption was supplied in suffi- cient quantities. 101 boreholes were repaired, 13 Sanitation: 91 latrines were constructed in 37 new ones were drilled and equipped with hand primary schools in Adjumani and Moyo districts. pumps and two shallow wells were constructed. Four community awareness campaigns were con- These additional water sources reached over 7,000 ducted on the health hazards of improper disposal refugees, bringing water coverage in the settle- of human waste and inadequate control of vectors ments to 87 per cent of that required (six per cent (disease carriers), while 30 health education meet- more than in 2000). The intervention significantly ings were held to promote good hygienic practices. reduced the incidence of water-borne diseases. In Health pamphlets were distributed to teachers. 17 Arua district, the number of boreholes increased sets of tools for digging sanitary structures were from 101 to 105. Three new boreholes were sunk for provided to the new settlements. The community the host communities during 2001.

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Organisation Overall Assessment and Implementation Programme activities undertaken in 2001 had pos- Management itive impacts both on the refugee and the Ugandan population. Despite some persisting misconcep- UNHCR operations in Uganda were co-ordinated tions, there was a positive change of attitude by by a branch office in Kampala and six offices in the local authorities towards SRS. Refugees and host field. In 2001, UNHCR employed 25 internationals, communities actively participated in the imple- including four UNVs, and 76 national staff. The mentation of various programme activities. There UN Internal Auditors conducted an audit of the is an urgent need to build on these partnerships if office’s operations in July 2001. Major findings further progress is to be made. focused on improvements to be made to the man- Uganda agement and implementation of UNHCR-funded Budget reductions throughout the year reduced the projects by implementing partners and govern- overall effectiveness of the programme and the ment counterparts. Ugandan refugee operation underwent consider- able downsizing. Refugees can clearly become self- Working with Others sufficient, but generalised self-sufficiency will only make sense if the process is gradual and within the Co-operation with Uganda Micro Finance Union framework of integrated services. Access to arable and Uganda Change was productive in providing land for crop production and market outlets for guidance for micro-credit schemes. Several meetings excess products are a prerequisite. were held with UNICEF with a view to integrating services to better meet refugee needs. UNHCR UNHCR’s role is and should remain that of sup- agreed to share expenses on the transport of food porter and facilitator of the essential activities of commodities, and the purchase of cooking mate- international protection. The SRS in Uganda is not rials for one of its projects. It is expected that as a an exit strategy per se; rather, it is a strategy to consequence of this scheme, school enrolment and improve the quality of asylum in protracted attendance will improve further. Efforts have been refugee situations. made to encourage operational partners to imple- ment programmes that benefit both nationals and refugees, to enable the phasing-out of UNHCR’s assistance. Memoranda of Understanding have been signed with two international NGOs for the implementation of adult literacy programmes, income-generating activities, agricultural support and skills training. WFP introduced a food- for-work programme, which included infrastruc- ture development benefiting both refugees and nationals. A number of other agencies including UNFPA, UNICEF, and the World Bank are involved in projects in northern Uganda as part of the Northern Uganda Reconstruction Programme. In 2001, UNHCR’s co-ordinated and monitored assis- tance programmes implemented by 16 NGOs and three government partners.

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Offices

Kampala Adjumani Arua Hoima Kitgum Mbarara

Partners Uganda Government Agencies District Directorate of Health Services District Forestry Office Office of the Prime Minister

NGOs Action contre la faim Africa Humanitarian Action African Development and Emergency Organisation Agency for Co-operation in Research and Development Aktion Afrika Hilfe Equatoria Civic Fund German Development Services Inter-Aid Uganda International Aid Sweden International Rescue Committee Jesuit Refugee Services Lutheran World Federation Uganda Red Cross Society

Others Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit

192 – UNHCR Global Report 2001 75190 Africa13/06/0216:09Side193 usadn 1Dcme ,4,9 3 (5) (5) (5) 0 0 388,539 779,043 5,780 (3) 189,762 (3) (1) (2,874) (1,223,154) 1,404,262 13,364,160 1,040,290 14,404,450 0 2,647,102 1,423,948 0 0 0 2,577,558 0 2,577,558 68,804 (5) Schedule5 (5) Schedule3 (5) 4,826,807 7,404,365 319,735 48,832 (3) AnnextoStatement1 (1) Figures whichcross reference toAccounts: (5,031) 421,570 Outstanding 31December (3) 388,539 Cancellations Disbursements 20,909 2,377 New Obligations (1,223,154) 64,942 1,040,290 Outstanding 1stJanuary 15,356 2,164,171 Unliquidated Obligations 151,554 (3) 235,860 11,199,989 Outstanding 31December 28,593 325,054 Currency Adjustment 1,571,593 Refunded toUNHCR 15,897 13,364,160 Outstanding 1stJanuary 9,758 Balance 245,680 2,577,558 Reporting Received 239,537 Payments Made 143,332 (1) 109,246 52,050 Instalments withImplementingPartners 769,321 1,559,198 59,874 TOTAL 14,404,450 Unliquidated Obligations 1,077,649 Sub-total Disbursements/Deliveries Programme Support 22,137 Sub-total Operational 180,693 Instalments withImplementingPartners Water 136,244 Transport /Logistics Shelter /OtherInfrastructure Sanitation 146,827 388,539 Operational Support(toAgencies) notes Livestock PriorYears’ Projects Legal Assistance Income Generation 2,324,569 notes Current Year’sHealth /Nutrition Projects (3) Forestry Food Fisheries Education Domestic Needs/HouseholdSupport Crop Production Community Services Protection, MonitoringandCo-ordination Expenditure Breakdown 1 page 46ofUNHCR This balanceincludesUSD999,outstandingfrom operationsbefore 2000.Itisalsoreported under ’ s Accounts. Financial Report Annual Programme BudgetandTrust Funds ( USD 3,7 63,603 130,576 ) 7 (1,619) 672 9,0 (5) 390,504 0 (1,533) 0 NC lblRpr 01– UNHCR GlobalReport2001 “ Unearmarked ” inSchedule5, 193 1

Uganda