EU adopts humanitarian aid decision for forgotten crisis in Uganda

The European Commission, through its humanitarian aid office ECHO, has approved€2 million in humanitarian aid to help the victims of the deplorable humanitarian situation in northern, central and eastern Uganda. The people of northern Uganda have suffered from guerrilla warfare carried out by rebel groups since the late 1970s, and attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have increased in number and intensity in recent months.

More than a million people are displaced and almost 2 million people (abducted children, night commuters, Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and refugees) are affected by the crisis.

This decision will target priority needs including health, nutrition, water, sanitation and food security. Health services will include monitoring and treatment for child malnutrition. Reintegration programmes for former child soldiers will continue to be funded. ECHO also plans to tackle the issue of schooling for children displaced by the crisis. ECHO has allocated a total of €8 million for the humanitarian crisis in Uganda in 2003.

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