Dinah Sadia, the Refugee Welfare Council (RWC I) chairperson for Zone two in Bidibidi refugee settlement told Uganda Radio Network that over ten refugees from her zone alone have since moved to settle along the disputed border area in search of farming land over the past three weeks. She blamed the exodus on the food cut and prioritization strategy announced by WFP recently.
The Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), states that 70% of the beneficiaries of humanitarian interventions should be refugees while 30% should go towards supporting host communities and local governments.
Dr. Felix Ejesu, the Deputy Health Manager International Rescue Committee (IRC) at Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement, says that already 482 malnutrition cases have been recorded among children below 5 years this quarter alone.
On Monday, angry laborers locked the girl’s dormitory and the administration block protesting underpaid arrears. Justine Okumu, one of the workers told URN that their children have been suspended from school due to accumulated school dues.
During the funeral, President Museveni made several pledges to the family. Bamuze’s son Ali Abdu Adaku Bamuze, says that six years down the road after the death of their father, the president is yet to fulfil the pledges he made at the burial of their late father, Bamuze on October 7th 2015 in Yumbe.
The refugees say that the cut in food aid ration to them by the World Food Program -WFP in April has negatively impacted their livelihoods and left most of them helplessly surviving on one meal a day.
The WFP in April 2020 announced a 30% reduction in the relief food ration it distributes to refugees and asylum seekers, in Uganda. It also warned that further cuts could follow.
Mohamad Yazid, the husband to the deceased who had taken her to the health center disclosed that on arrival home, he left her seated outside with a relative and went into the house to rest, only to wake up from the house after hearing cries from the relative he had left the wife with.
Moses Wenger a refugee welfare council three officer BidiBidi says some of the refugees have gone as far as stealing beans from other homes inside the camp.
Juliao says crossing the emergency threshold is a significant gain made in eliminating persistent water crisis in Bidi Bidi refugee Settlement. He says before crossing the threshold, agencies had to collect and treat water from River Nile, a distance of more than 50 Kilometers using water bowser tracks for refugees to access water every day.
