UN official assesses situation of Sudanese refugees in Uganda

KAMPALA, Feb 17, 2005 (Xinhua) — United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Wendy Chamberlain has visited Arua district in northwestern Uganda to assess issues surrounding the repatriation of Sudanese refugees, Radio Uganda reported on Thursday.

Half a million Sudanese refugees, like these in Kakuma camp in Kenya, could go home under the new peace deal for South Sudan. (UNHCR).

Chamberlain who was on her way from Yei and Kaya met Ugandan First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Moses Ali, UN refugees agency representative in Uganda Cynthia Burns and other officials from the refugees program at Oraba border post in Koboko in Arua district.

The UN official wished to get a firsthand account of the level of preparedness among the countries hosting refugees, and the current conditions in southern Sudan.

Furthermore, she wished to use the information gathered to raise awareness among the international and donor community about the whole repatriation program.

Chamberlain held discussions with various non-governmental organization officials on various issues surrounding the repatriation process including security, education, reconstruction, conflict management and capacity building of institutions.

In Rhinocamp refugee settlement, the refugee leadership forwarded a memorandum on various issues to be addressed prior to their repatriation back to Sudan.

Uganda hosts an estimated 200,000 registered Sudanese refugees. Earlier this month, thousands of Sudanese refugees living in northern Uganda refused to go back home for fear that many fields in southern Sudan were still infested with landmines and were lack of infrastructure.