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Uganda: Emergency Update on the South Sudan Refugee Situation - Inter-Agency Weekly | 1-7 June 2017

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Uganda
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UNHCR
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HIGHLIGHTS

  • A total of 6,260 South Sudanese refugees arrived in Uganda in the first week of June, at an average daily rate of 894. The number of South Sudanese refugees in Uganda now stands at 956,822.

  • Refugees continue to report fleeing South Sudan to escape fighting between armed groups, particularly in Kajo Keji and Yei counties. In Yei County, civilians were reportedly warned to leave their villages or risk being caught up in the ensuing crossfire.

  • The majority of South Sudanese refugees reside in settlements in northern Uganda, including 272,206 in Bidibidi, Yumbe District; 148,381 in Palorinya, Moyo District; 86,770 in Rhino and 107,330 in Imvepi, both in Arua District, and 23,625 in Palabek, Lamwo District.

  • Recent flooding has affected the provision of accommodation for refugees in a number of settlements, including Palorinya and Palabek. Efforts are underway to repair damage caused by the flooding.

  • A fifteen member delegation from the US Congress visited settlements in Koboko and Arua districts on the 29th of May to gather firsthand information on the South Sudan emergency, with a view to raising awareness about the situation in the United States. The delegation, accompanied by UNHCR Representative Bornwell Kantande, visited Kuluba Collection Centre in Arua and Bidibidi settlement in Yumbe.

  • With funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Uganda Refugee Response Portal was launched on the 2nd of June. The online tool provides updates and information on the refugee situation in Uganda.

UPDATE ON SITUATION

  • Uganda continues to receive new arrivals from South Sudan. Reasons for flight remain consistent: fear of indiscriminate killings, looting of property, burning of houses, torture, rape, arrest by armed forces, lack of basic services and hunger.