By: Ismael Kasooha
ISINGIRO
Refugees living in the Nakivale settlement in South Western Uganda have appealed to the government to provide water for domestic use and electricity to transform their lives.
Fenius Mushumba who represented the other refugees at the Rubondo zone, Nakivale Refugee Settlement said that the influx of refugees continues but water is very scarce.
“The number of Refugees is increasing day-by-day but we have a serious challenge of water for domestic use,” said Mushumba.
He said that some people who are living in Rubondo have got skills to do with cottage industries but they are incapacitated because of lack of electricity.
“Most of our areas are not connected to electricity which would be a source of livelihood to supplement on the rations supplied by the World Food Programme and other partners,” said Mushumba.
Mushumba was speaking during the distribution of Relief food items donated by the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Congolese Refugees in Nakivale Settlement in Isingiro District.
The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) is leading the distribution exercise.
Some of the Congolese Refugees waiting for the Relief Food Aid from Saudi Arabia at Rubondo zone in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Isingiro District
Patrick Okello, the Commissioner Refugees at the Office of the Prime Minister lauded the Government of Saudi Arabia for the support to the refugees at Nakivale.
“I want to sincerely thank the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the support extended to our brothers and sisters from the DR Congo. We appreciate this gesture and appeal to other partners to also support these refugees,” said Okello.
Okello assured the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that only those intended to benefit from relief Aid shall be served.
“We have an automated system of verification of the people supposed to benefit from this donation. We are considering the elderly, children, breastfeeding mothers first in the distribution of the relief food items,” said Okello.
He said that they have begun the process of repatriation of some refugees from Burundi and in case the situation normalizes in the neighboring DR Congo, they will also be repatriated.
Pauline Irene Abina the Regional Desk Officer Mbarara thanked the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the support extended to the Congolese refugees.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) sub regional officer for Western Uganda Zainab Jafin commended the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the kind and timely support.
“On behalf of UNHCR and other partners we appreciate the kind support from the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for supporting our brothers and sisters from the DR Congo,” said Zainab.
She said that Uganda is currently hosting 1.7m refugees although the support from partners is dwindling yet demands are increasing.
The relief food items will serve 12,700 refugees but those in dire need are over 56, 000.
The Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has donated over 342 tonnes of relief food to Congolese Refugees in Uganda worth 1.85bn shillings.
Each of the 12,700 food boxes contains 10kgs of maize flour, 5kgs of Sugar, 5kgs of Rice, 4Kgs of beans, 1 kg of salt and two liters of vegetable cooking oil.
END
