Geneva, 17 July 2013
1. Brief description of the emergency and impact
On the night of Wednesday, 10th July 2013, the Ugandan rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) launched an attack on Kamango, Japande, Bunduasana, Mampopio, Kicanga, Buwisa and Kikingi areas in the North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to a preliminary report from the Red Cross, the fighting led to an influx of close to 19,000 refugees in its first day of occurrence. On Friday of the same week, the local media reported that the number had reached 30,000 refugees majority being women and children. By 14th July 2013, the Uganda Red Cross Society registered 66,319 people, with a projection of 15,000 more to arrive.
2. Why is an ACT response needed?
ACT alliance support is urgently needed to assist the refugees who have become homeless and are unable to meet their basic needs for food, water, shelter, medical support etc.
The need for external humanitarian support has been expounded by the Office of the Prime minster (OPM and the UNHCR). In the current refugee influx, more financial and technical support is needed to care and protect an estimated 66,000 refugees.
3. National and international response
The Ugandan army was deployed at the Border post in Bundibugyo to screen the refugees entering Uganda for security reasons.
A number of humanitarian actors including Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP,
URCS, LWF, OXFAM, IOM, DRC, Save the Children, MSF, World Harvest Mission and Bundibugyo Local Government are working together to assist the refugees and the local authority has also provided 3 free spaces as temporary lodging for refugees.