Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

The safety, dignity and rights of children, detainees and other vulnerable people, separated in the non-international armed conflict in northern Uganda (1986–2006) and due to violence in neighbouring countries (such as South Sudan) are enhanced.

Expected results

The ICRC aims to achieve the following main results:

- Protection needs (reunification, legal advice, providing/facilitating safe and dignified shelter and basic services) for 95,000 vulnerable persons are covered

- Protection needs situation (visiting and communication services, medical support, reintegration, legal advice) for 16,000 detainees is enhanced

- International Humanitarian Law (IHL) awareness of 5,100 targeted stakeholders (government third parties, police, military, academics, Red Cross) is increased

With a contribution of EUR 1,000,000, the ICRC will be able to reach the following results:

- Protection needs situation (reunification, legal advice, providing/facilitating safe and dignified shelter and basic services) for 22,000 vulnerable persons (focus on children) is

improved.

- Protection needs situation (visiting and communication services, medical support, reintegration, legal advice) for 3,700 detainees is enhanced

- IHL awareness of 1,170 targeted stakeholders (government third parties, police, military, academics) s increased

Target group / Beneficiaries

With the Austrian contribution, an estimated 26,870 people can be reached. This target goup includes:

- Civilians (People, who do not take part in fighting, including internally displaced People (IDPs) and vulnerable residents)

- Detainees (people, who are deprived of their freedom and are held by the Ugandan Government or armed groups)

- Actors of influence (such as government authorities, security forces and other weapon bearers, or the local Red Cross Society)

The ICRC works closely with the Uganda Red Cross Society and implements its activities in Kitgum, Arua, Yumbe.

Activities

Activities include:

- visit refugees and IDPs and document their protection concerns; assess conditions in refugee settlements, and pay close attention to girls’ access to education and to threats of sexual violence

- make oral and written representations to the authorities and weapon bearers and organize training sessions on IHL and other applicable norms

- discuss – with the authorities – the creation of a national committee to ascertain the fate of missing people, and the inclusion of these missing people’s families in established government assistance Programmes

- raise awareness of the plight of missing people’s families

- offer family-links services such as phone calls and Red Cross Messages (RCMs) to detainees; cover transportation costs for people visiting relatives in prison, and/or the travel expenses of released detainees returning home.

Context

Due to the volatile regional security context, Uganda continues to host people who have fled from neighboring countries (mainly from South Sudan and DRC and to a lesser extent from Burundi, Somalia and Rwanda). Despite the assistance provided in settlements, the refugee population continues to face many challenges, in particular unaccompanied and separated children who are unable to reestablish contact with their relatives in their country of origin.

The Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) contributes troops to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

The next presidential elections in Uganda will take place in 2021. The pre-election period raises fears of a resurgence of political tensions and repression. This period is often concomitant with waves of arrests increasing the population in places of detention already congested due to lengthy judicial processes.