12/29/2003

After reading reports of deteriorating humanitarian conditions in northern Uganda, RI undertook a follow up mission to assess conditions for the 1.2 million IDPs in Uganda. RI found that there was an ongoing, underreported humanitarian emergency in northern Uganda. People live in fear of attacks and abductions by the Lord's Resistance Army. Because of insecurity, most NGOs and UN agencies, with the exception of the World Food Program, were unable to travel to the camps to provide humanitarian assistance. The UN's response was clearly inadequate for such a massive emergency. RI returned to New York to advocate with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance and UNICEF to increase and improve their response in northern Uganda. After RI advocacy, the UN pledged to triple their humanitarian assistance in northern Uganda. In particular, UNICEF has issued a 100-day plan for northern Uganda and will deploy two emergency nutritional officers to the north. Uganda is now high on the agenda of the UN.