The Government has been thrown under panic as more than 1000 refugees surged into the country this afternoon from the Bundibugyo District Border to D.R. Congo as the office of the prime minister indicates that they are trying their best to assess the requirement for the emergency.
Mr Charles Odongtho, the spokesperson to the office of the office of the Prime Minister this evening told our reporter that the teams on ground have spent a better part of the afternoon digging into the particulars of the arrivals and assessing both the security and medical conditions of the new entrants.
“It is hard to tell what is needed at this time but we normally have some food for emergencies. Our teams on ground will call the main office to alert us on what is next for the refugees and if the situation does not normalise on their end, we shall transfer them to Rwamwanja refugee settlement in Kamwenge (District),” Mr Odongtho said in an interview for this story.
Reports indicate that a stampede ensued two days ago in the villages of Kichanga I and Kichanga II in Beni area in Northern Kivu region of D. R Congo when alleged combatants of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked and killed dozens in the wee hours of the morning.
This forced more than 1000, mainly women, children and unclaimed-for-babies to flee the area towards the western part of Uganda.
Reports from the United Nations Human Rights Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) of last year indicate that by November, Uganda alone received more than 93,800 new arrivals. The same reports indicate that this number has kept swelling with pockets of attack in the country from both M23 rebels and ADF.
In their earlier report this evening, the Uganda Red Cross Society team indicated that they had deployed their teams to help in settling-in of the refugees at Butoogo point of entry, Bundibugyo district.
“Using unofficial crossing points, some prefer to live with relatives at the border points, and others will need support to stay in Uganda as refugees.We are working with authorities to offer humanitarian assistance,” said Ms Irene Nakasiita, the director communications at the Uganda Red Cross.
