More than 1,000 Ugandans die each week in camps for homeless

More than 1,000 Ugandans die from disease and violence every week in camps for 1.3 million people who had to leave their homes during an 18-year insurgency in northern Uganda, said a report prepared by the government and the United Nations.

"Peaceful resolution of the conflict is the most crucial step to be sought by all parties in the conflict," said the report by the government, various U.N. agencies, Britain and the International Rescue Committee.

Between January and July, 28,283 people died from AIDS-related illnesses, malaria, fever and other diseases and unspecified violence in the camps in northern Uganda, the report said.

Most of the deaths were from disease and 11,068 of the people who died are children below the age of 5, said the report.

"The 1.3 million displaced persons living in the Acholi region of northern Uganda are currently experiencing a very serious humanitarian emergency. Extremely urgent action is needed so as to reduce mortality to non-crisis levels," the report said.

Disaster Preparedness Minister Christine Aporu Amongin said that of the three districts covered in the report, the government has vacancies for 200 doctors in Kitgum district alone.

The government is "going to intervene to make sure the conditions of people, especially those living in camps improve. The issue of sickness in camps will be fully handled," Amongin told the AP.

Another 300,000 people who live outside the camps were not covered in the report.

Subscribe to Pravda.Ru Telegram channel, Facebook, RSS!

Author`s name Editorial Team
X