Self-Settled Refugees in Arua Facing Life Challenges, Seeking UNHCR Support

Lillian John, a 26-years old South Sudanese single mother of seven says that living in the urban town has become extremely expensive such that she is unable to adequately provide for the needs of her family.

According to Lillian, the high cost of living in the town where one has to pay for rent, food, and medication has become a big challenge to her since she can’t get any support from her husband who was captured by the rebels in 2016 in South Sudan during the conflict.

“It is better for me to go and register as a refugee and settle with my children at the camp so that we can get the little food ratio given by World Food Program instead of starving here in town,” Lilian said adding that she has come to the office of Prime Minister Department of refugees to seek assistance since she is tired of the hard life in the town and wants to go to the camp.

Lillian express her fears about her children’s education as she is not able to provide school fees for them. She pointed out that any money she gets goes to buying food and paying for house rent and there is no surplus to pay for school fees. Moreover, she has no communication with her husband and the rest of her extended family where she would have sought assistance.

Saluwa Queen, another South Sudanese self-settled Refugee who came to Arua city in November last year with her seven children in search of better education now says that life has become extremely tough as she is not able to afford basic necessities of life.

Queen who like Lilian is also taking care of her children all by herself says that the father of her children not around and she has only been relying on support from her brother who is now in Kenya pursuing further studies and therefore cannot her anymore.

“I have come to the Office of the Prime Minister to register as a refugee because there is no one to support me and my children here in Uganda,’’ she said adding that the burden of paying rent and catering for other family needs such as food and medication is weighing heavily on her, therefore her decision to seek registration as a refugee.

“My brother is the one who has been feeding us, now that he is in school, he cannot afford to do so; moreover, if I go back to my country, I still will not be able to provide for my family, I feel that it is better to go and try life at the settlement,” she expressed.

Queen who says that she has not seen or communicated with her husband for the last three years and is not sure whether he is dead or alive expresses that her children will, for now, remain at home as she cannot afford school fees; getting food is now their biggest priority.

Meanwhile, Hamdi Adadi the LC chairperson of Buruku cell River OLI Division confirmed that the two South Sudanese women have been part of his community members.

He said that the two South Sudanese have been putting up their relatives since they couldn’t afford rent. Unfortunately, the relatives cannot continue accommodating them due to the big number of children coupled with high living expenses in the city.

“As local government agencies, we decided to refer them to the Office of Prime Minister to see the way forward on how they can be helped,’’ Hamdi said adding that, as local government responsible for the cells, they usually propose to people going through some hardship to seek registration as refugees and be moved to the settlements rather than insisting on living in towns and suffer as they cannot afford rent, food, and medications in the city.

LC 1 chairperson stated that UNHCR gives food ratio according to the family size registered when they come in the country, it is therefore difficult to accommodate other people especially when the extra number is big.

He added that the refugees living in the urban towns of Arua are living in harmony with the Ugandan community since most Ugandans are also in South Sudan.

Unfortunately, Solomon Osakan, the Refugee’s Desk Officer at the Office of the Prime Minister, Department of Refugees said that the borders were closed by the government of Uganda due to COVID 19 outbreak, and as such, they do not receive new arrival, neither do they register new refugees at the settlement.

He said that in order to help such people who are currently suffering in Arua town, he will have to seek advice from high authorities to see whether such people can be registered to go to the settlements. He added that the Office of the Prime Minister is currently facing a resource challenge, whereas relocating such individuals to the settlement requires a lot of planning in order to provide the humanitarian assistance they need.

Solomon disclosed that the registration exercise that is currently going on at the settlements is only for the newborn babies whose parents are already registered at the settlement.

By Gaaniko Samson Jerry