Govt shouldnt ignore IDP deaths
World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Fund for Children (Unicef), in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, recently wrote a report titled: "Health mortality survey for Northern Uganda".
This study was done in the Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) camps, from January to July 2005, in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader.
The death rate (1.2 dead every 10,000 persons) is the highest in the world.
Every week 1,000 people in IDPs die of malaria, Aids, violence and dysentery.
Dr David Nabarro, who is the special representative of WHO director general, was in Gulu district two weeks ago.
He said the death rates in the camps have climbed so high that the only way to arrest the situation is to remove people from there.
If this is the only solution, why has the government refused to dismantle IDP camps?
According to the survey, the access to water is inadequate: 89 pe
rcent of
the people in Gulu cannot get the recommended minimum of 20 litres.
Dr Nabarro said: "We would like to hear from the governments proposals for improving health conditions in the camps".
But what is the government doing to help IDPs?
"Government does not want to hide anything. This is the truth of the matter and the government is going to commit enough resources for the benefit of IDPs", said the Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Ms Christine Aporu.
According to The Weekly Observer, a government official, in a meeting held at WHO on August 2, had instead suggested that the alarming findings of the report be softened, giving the sensitivity of this period, but UN agencies objected.
I want to add that many women and girls were raped in these camps and that every family is living in a hut of 12 square metres, with only 25 kilos of maize and 6 kilos of beans for a month.
The government will
say that
IDPs live in camps for security reasons, but it failed to protect them.
Let us remember what happened in Barlonyo in February 2004 and in other camps, in several tragic occasions.
Name withheld on request
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