MIHA Module 4 Assignment

Examination Number: Y0600476
Department of Politics
University of York
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Case Study on emergency shelter at Sudanese Refugee Camp at Dzaipi, Adjumani
District, Northern Uganda
Abstract
The case study presents the analysis of the emergency shelter needs of the Sudanese
refugees who have been resettled at Dzaipi refugee transit camp in Adjumani District,
Northern Uganda. The refugees who fled to Uganda have come from various ethnic
groups with the majority being Dinka while many people belonging to the Nuer ethnic
group have also fled into Uganda. The three Humanitarian agencies contacted by the
researcher did share records on arrivals of refugees based on their ethnicity to help in
their allocation into specific resettlement camps as strategy to prevent further violence
that may erupt due to ethnic background and difference.
The Dinka and Nuer tribes have been located into separate sites with view, said by the
humanitarian agencies to prevent further violence which made the Nuer refugees to be
taken to different sites and the Dinka also taken to another site.
This study provides information on three Humanitarian agencies operating in Northern
Uganda contacted by the researcher during the study from whom records of emergency
shelter provided to Sudanese refugees have been obtained to inform the study report to
share as academic paper in a bid to fulfil the requirements of essay assessment report
submitted for review and consideration for filing the passing grades of the University of
York.

The key findings picked on the level of emergency shelter gaps, challenges and types of
shelters provided to the Sudanese refugees in Dzaipi transit centre in Ajumani district.
Key Concepts Used
An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to flee his/her home
but who remains within his/her country’s borders.
Refugee is a person who is outside his/her country of origin or habitual residence
because they have suffered (or fear) persecution on account of race, religion, nationality,
political opinion, or because they are member of a persecuted social group or because
they are fleeing a war. Such a person may be called an asylum seeker until recognized
by the state where they make a claim.
An emergency shelter is a place for people to live temporarily when they cannot live in
their previous residence, similar to homeless shelters.
Post-disaster emergency shelter is often provided by organizations or governmental
emergency management departments, in response to natural disasters, such as a flood
or earthquake. They tend to use tents or other temporary structures, or buildings
normally used for another purpose, such as a church or school. These settlements may
be inhabited for the entire duration of the reconstruction process and should be thought
of more as settlements than shelter, and need to be planned with respect to water /
sanitation, livelihoods.

Introduction to the Case Study
The case study was carried at Dzaipi refugee transit centre located along Sudan Uganda
border to explore on the experiences on emergency shelter provision to Sudanese
refugees by humanitarian agencies operating in Northern Uganda to address their
shelter needs as a result of conflict over the leadership of South Sudan between Dinka
and Nuer ethnic tribal groups of Southern Sudan which led to forced massive
displacement of Sudanese citizens into Uganda as refugees since December 2013.
The researcher drew learning lessons hereto presented as study report on shelter needs,
types of shelter provide, gaps and challenges faced by both humanitarian agencies and
Sudanese refugees at Dzaipi refugee transit centre located along Sudan Uganda border
in Adjumani district, Northern Uganda.
The report provides both qualitative and quantitative information of basic relief items
of transitional shelter materials given to the Sudanese refugees including small plots of
land within the resettlement areas on which to pitch or construct temporal
shelter/houses.
Major Areas Covered
The researcher carried out field study at Dzaipi refugee transit centre in Adjumani
district where the majority of displaced Sudanese communities are resettled temporality
waiting for allocation into gazetted internally displaced peoples (IDPs) camps within
Northern region by the government of Uganda. The study focused on knowing the

work of humanitarian agencies operating in Northern Uganda to understand their
criteria for choosing beneficiary refugees to be provided emergency shelter supplies
including gaps and challenges they face to inform future shelter interventions in
Uganda and other conflict areas in Africa and globally.
The study was also interested to know the types of transitional shelter the refugees are
familiar with and learning lessons and good practices to adapt by any humanitarian
agencies in situations of conflict and disaster in future.
Study Objectives
The study was carried out with the following objectives:-
i) To explore and reflect on the experiences on emergency shelter provision to
Sudanese refugees by humanitarian agencies operating in Northern Uganda.
ii) To study assess practical roles of the humanitarian agencies to addressing the
shelter needs of refugees in Dzaipi refugee transit centre in Adjumani district of
Northern Uganda.
iii) To identify gaps, challenges and recommend which shelter approach (es) would
inform future emergency shelter interventions.
The field work study took four weeks beginning from 18th March – 18th April 2014.

Literature Review
The study was guided by sampled fact sheets on the impact of conflict in South Sudan ,
Uganda’s national newspapers, available reports and publications related to shelter and
housing reconstruction approaches to use during and after conflict or disaster to enable
the researcher understand and report on the level of emergency shelter interventions in
Northern Uganda. Literature review has been presented in sub themes according to the
objectives of the study.
a) Experiences of Sudanese refugees on emergency shelter provisions.
With review on the extract from news national paper stating, “In the steaming heat of
Uganda, just south of the border with South Sudan, long lines of tents crowd the Dzaipi refugee
camp where tens of thousands have fled fighting in their war-torn nation. Dzaipi was designed
for 400 people, but at one point the flood of South Sudanese refugees swelled to some 35,000 as
Uganda bears the brunt of the massive exodus from the world's youngest nation” (New Vision,
Thursday, February 27, 2014).
Backed by fact sheet report on original plan for establishment of Dzaipi as a transit
centre, “The Dzaipi transit centre in Northern Uganda which was originally designed for 400
people, is still hosting more than 20,000 refugees” (South Sudan Fact Sheet # 17 January 17,
2014).
The above literature references indicatively reveal that any transitional shelter in the
form of tents, tarpaulin or plastic sheets so far provided to Sudanese refugees can not

enough to cover everybody due to constantly swelling population of displacement
communities into Uganda, which calls for concerted efforts of humanitarian agencies,
international communities, NGOs and government agencies to come to their rescue
otherwise the information presented by both government news paper and South Sudan
fact sheet give the impression that the Sudanese refugees are faced up with the
challenges of accessing transitional shelter from humanitarian agencies operating in the
Dzaipi refugee transit centre.
b) What humanitarian agencies are doing to address shelter needs of Sudanese
refugees at Dzaipi transit centre.
The quotes of Barakat provide acceptable approaches to emergency shelter provisions
as, “Alternative approaches to transitional and temporary housing provision to victims of
conflict and disaster” (Housing reconstruction after conflict and disaster, Barakat, S.
2003).
According to Barakat (2003), the most causes of either rural urban forced immigration is
conflict which has been reported over the years that this do occur as a result of dramatic
increase in societal conflict, or with intrastate conflicts having been the most prevalent
form of armed conflict globally to date. This means the changing nature of warfare has
resulted in millions of people being internally displaced, as local battles spill over into
civilian areas while millions of people are forced out of their country to live abroad as
refugees; Sudanese refugees being a case in point in this study lessons.

The types of emergency shelter the researcher found in line with the recommendation
of Barakat, being provided to Sudanese refugees by humanitarian agencies on the
ground comprises of tarpaulins, cone tents with sleeping bags and temporal houses
made out of spear grass and mud blocks constructed on plots of land gazetted by
Adjumani district local government with some refugees allowed to construct temporal
shelter and semi permanent houses on community land owned and offered by good
will of community members within and around Dzaipi refugee transit centre, being one
of the biggest refugee resettlement area in Northern Uganda.
The researcher supports Barakat’ recommendation about provision of alternative
approaches to housing reconstruction during after conflicts or disaster after making
contacts with international agencies such as Medical Teams International Uganda who
provides emergency medical aids together with cone tents to families with sick people,
babies and sucking mothers, Red Cross Uganda who provides tents and tarpaulins and
cone tents to refugee households with sick people, babies and sucking mothers and
World Food Program who provides relief foods, tarpaulins, tents and agricultural seeds
to support refugee livelihoods through small scale cultivation and production of short
term yielding farm seeds to registered and settled Sudanese refugees on gazetted
settlement areas in and around Dzaipi refugee transit centre.

c) Gaps and challenges faced by both humanitarian agencies and Sudanese
refugees.
As written in the national newspaper hereto quoted as, “In the steaming heat of Uganda,
just south of the border with South Sudan, long lines of tents crowd the Dzaipi refugee camp
where tens of thousands have fled fighting in their war-torn nation. Dzaipi was designed for 400
people, but at one point the flood of South Sudanese refugees swelled to some 35,000 as Uganda
bears the brunt of the massive exodus from the world's youngest nation” (New Vision,
Thursday, February 27, 2014).
In light to the above literature reference, the study report has revealed the over
population of Sudanese refugees, inadequate supply of tents, tarpaulins and basic
household commodities by humanitarian agencies to households who have sought for
resettlement at Dzaipi refugee transit centre as the outstanding gaps and challenges
registered through the study findings being faced by both humanitarian agencies and
the refugees themselves. Another challenges witnessed during the study exercise is the
availability of enough free land where to the Sudanese refugees can be located for
resettlement and construction of either temporary shelter/houses or live for extended
period there is conflict in their country, save the gazetted areas through intervention of
Adjumani district local government and individual community members who acted as
Good Samaritans to offering limited land for some Sudanese refugees to squat
temporarily while waiting to be shown and directed to planned internally peoples’

displaced (IDPs) camps within the district or elsewhere outside as deem on the
availability of large areas befitting resettlement purposes.
Methodology
The report describes the methodology that was employed in order to answer the study
objectives raised. This includes sample selection procedure, data gathering, analysis and
presentation.
Methods that were used to collect relevant information
The researcher visited Dzaipi refugee transit centre in Adjumani district, Northern
Uganda where he carried out this field study. The study was aimed at exploring and
reflecting on the experiences on emergency shelter provision to Sudanese refugees by
humanitarian agencies, assessing practical roles of the humanitarian agencies to
addressing the shelter needs of refugees at Dzaipi refugee transit centre and identifying
gaps, challenges in order to give recommendations on which shelter approach (es) to
adapt for future emergency shelter interventions in conflict and disaster affected areas
in any parts of the country and the world.
Research Design and Methods
An exploratory qualitative research design was used to obtain narrative and rich
descriptions of resettlement experience of both Sudanese fleeing into Northern Uganda
due to destructive impacts of the civil war in South Sudan and the community where
they are being resettled. Qualitative methods have been chosen as the most feasible

study tool to assess and examine the plight of the refugees including the challenges
faced by humanitarian actors providing emergency shelter and problems affecting
Sudanese refugee’s resettlement in refugee camps in Northern Uganda.
The researcher employed semi structured questionnaires to carry out one to one and
group interview sessions in order to give the study respondents freedom to share
opinions, views and suggestions on which emergency shelter approach they feel they
are comfortable with during the supply and distribution of particular transitional
shelter materials, where the majority opted for semi permanent houses and grass
thatched houses made from spear grass and mud walls in preference to provision of
tents and tarpaulins which do not last during rainy and windy weather conditions of
Adjumani district due to Sudan Uganda border climate differences.
Study Site
The site where the researcher carried out this study has been at Dzaipi transit centre,
one of the largest Sudanese refugee resettlement camps located at Adjumani district in
Northern Uganda. This transit centre has been reported of having overwhelming
population of about 35,000 refugees who have so far arrived from South Sudan seeking
for resettlement in Northern Uganda, and Dzaipi village now becoming urban
internally peoples’ displaced (IDPs) camps has been a suitable place to use as transit
centre because of its closeness to the border of South Sudan, spacious government free
land which accommodates resettlement activities of incoming refugees.

Study Population
The researcher also participated as both interviewer and observer during the
administration of semi structured questionnaires to widows, widowers, child headed
households and refugee leaders living within the jurisdiction of Dzaipi refugee transit
centre. The study population was expected to cover the categories summarized as
below.
Study Population
Category of the Study Population Total Population
Widows 50
Widowers 50
Child headed households 50
Refugee leaders 50
Local Leaders 50
Humanitarian agency top
managers
50
Total 300
(Table 1) Source: Study primary data
Study Sample
A sample of 300 respondents was obtained from a sampling frame of the selected study
population in a non random (purposive) manner based on their gender, age and
resettlement experiences of emergency shelter during the period of displacement and
relocation from South Sudan into Uganda in order to inform the study findings in
accordance to the study objectives.

The specific purposive strategy in which the three categories: the widows, widowers,
child headed households and refugee leaders were asked same questions but structured
in different ways so as to establish any divergences in response. The respondents
included also local leaders and humanitarian agency top managers.
Out of the 150 respondents in general; 25 were widows; 25 were widowers; 25 were
child headed households; 25 were refugee leaders; 25 were local leaders; and 25 were
top managers of humanitarian agencies. The categories of the respondents and the size
of the sample studied are summarized below.
Sample Size
Category of the Study
Population
Total
Population
Sample
Size
Widows 50 25
Widowers 50 25
Child headed households 50 25
Refugee leaders 50 25
Local leaders 50 25
managers
50 25
Total 300 150
Questionnaire Design
The study employed a semi-structured questionnaire to determine the opinion,
attitudes, preferences and perceptions of persons of interest to the researcher.

The questionnaire technique was chosen for this study for the following reasons:
a) To ask the same questions from all the participants in the study.
b) To use descriptive and analytical research for summarising and analyzing collected
data.
c) To report the results of each question with a large number of inputs.
The questionnaire included both the closed form which permits limited responses (a
multiple choice question) and open form which permits any responses in the
participant’s own words. The questionnaires were expected to accomplish the following
tasks.
a) To collect data from sampled refugees from within the Dzaipi transit centre who
have under gone through displacement process and free to share their experience on
emergency shelter.
b) To collect data from refugee key informants such as refugee leaders, local leaders
and humanitarian agency managers conversant with the concept of emergency
shelter approach.
Procedure
Prior to accessing the respondents, the researcher got permission from the Resident
District Commissioner (President Representative Officer at district level). The purpose
of the study was explained to all individual respondents and their consent was sought.
It is important to note that all participants in the study and the information they
provided were requested confidentially as a condition for their participation in the field

study. The study data was collected with the help from the respondents who
demonstrated openness and freely provided all information requested by the
researcher.
Limitations of the Study
The major limitations of this study need to be cited:
a) Accessing records and documents from the humanitarian organization was a
problem. This was because they were not sure of the confidentiality in their use by
the researcher.
b) In some instances, some respondents, particularly local leaders and humanitarian
agency top managers had to be contacted on phone rather than face-to-face which
increased costs of the study.
c) The sample was limited to all those who voluntarily participated and provided by
responding freely to the questionnaires.
d) The study being too short, the generalization of the results may be limited.
e) The participation of employees sometimes was dependent on supervisors’
willingness to invite them to participate in the answering of the questionnaires given
to them.
Data Collection
Qualitative and qualitative data was collected through administration of semi
structured questionnaires by the researcher offered during face to face interview
approach prompting the invitation of the respondents to freely provide the required

descriptive and quantifying information such as length of time at Dzaipi refugee transit
centre, length of time the humanitarian agencies operated in Dzaipi, gender, age and
occupation or education level of sampled respondents required by study in accordance
with the objectives of the planned study on Dzaipi refugee transit centre. The
respondents were given ample time to share and tell their stories about the resettlement
process, concerns prior to resettlement of Sudanese refugees at the transit centre, access
to emergency shelter provision from humanitarian agencies operating in Northern
Uganda and actions on the part of individuals, especially local leaders within the
community in relation to hosting of arriving refugees from South Sudan.
Check List
Secondary data sources were reviewed using a checklist based on time of arrival, place
of resettlement, numbers of households provided emergency shelter, frequency of sex,
shelter distribution points per humanitarian agency and time of accessibility. The
qualitative data is based up on the descriptive level and reference to the literature
review.
Data Analysis and Control
All responses from sampled respondents during the interview process related to
challenges and problems faced by refugees located at Dzaipi transit centre has been
used to inform the study findings.

Data processing and analyses were conducted through scores of responses, editing,
classification and tabulations for both qualitative and quantitative methods. The data
collected were processed to limited levels and all study schedules for primary data
collection were edited to check for accuracy, completeness, uniformity, and consistency
of information and data gathered.
Study Findings
i) Refugee Participants Characteristics
The study findings focused on the background of refugee participants, resettlement
processes involving humanitarian agencies including provision of emergency shelter,
challenges and problems encountered during provision of emergency shelter and the
response from the community towards the shelter needs of Sudanese refugees resettled
at Dzaipi transit centre in Adjumani district.
a) Respondents Characteristics
The respondents who participated in this research undertaking were of two categories:
Local leaders and humanitarian agency top managers as key informants; and widows,
widowers, child headed households and refugee camp leaders taken as target
respondents which details is shown in the table below.

Target Respondents Sex
Orientation
F M Total
Widows 25 00 25
Widowers 00 25 25
Child headed households 13 12 25
Refugee leaders 15 10 25
Local Leaders 10 15 25
managers
16 9 25
Total 79 71 150
The data collected was recorded and analysed with interpretation showing 25 widows,
25 widowers, 13 female and 12 male child headed households, 15 female and 10 refugee
leaders, 10 female and 15 local leaders, and 16 female and 9 male top managers of
humanitarian agencies operating in Dzaipi refugee transit centre.
b) Sex Status
The respondent’s gender status is as shown in the table below.
Sex Frequency Percentage (%)
Male 71 45.5
Female 79 54.5
Total 150 100
The table above reveals the female respondents as the majority while male forming the
minority respondents interviewed by the researcher.

c) Age Groups
According to the findings, (1.4 %) of the respondents fall within 10 and below age
bracket while only (6.6%) are above 40 years of age. This compares with the
respondents of 19-25 years age bracket was represented by (14.7 %) of them with the
majority; (14.7%) falling within 19-25 years as shown in Table 5 below.
Age Frequency Percentage (%)
10 and below 2 1.4
11-15 18 12.0
16-18 22 14.7
19-25 30 20.0
26-30 32 21.3
31-35 26 17.4
36-40 10 6.6
40 and above 10 6.6
Total 150 100
d) Respondent’s Education
The table below shows the scores of education level of Sudanese refugee resettled at
Dzaipi refugee transit centre, the majority being refugee children with school ages of
pre-school with (25.4% male and 35.3% female) and primary level with (35.4% male and
32.4% female) as the highest age groups who need to access basic education. The same
table scored refugees who attained Degree level being the least with (5.1% male and
2.8% female) indicating they might be people who were working in South Sudan before
the break out of conflict which forced massive population out of their country into

Northern part of Uganda where they currently are resettled at Dzaipi refugee transit
centre.
Education
Level
Category of Respondents
Male Percentage
(%)
Female Percentage
(%)
Pre- School 20 25.4 25 35.3
Primary 28 35.4 23 32.4
Secondary 12 15.1 11 15.5
Diploma 15 19.0 10 14.0
Degree 4 5.1 2 2.8
Total 79 100 71 100
e) Religion of the Respondents
Table 7 below gives a summary of the religion of the respondents.
Religion of the Respondents Frequency Percentage (%)
Catholic 40 26.7
Protestant 80 53.3
Muslim 10 6.7
Others 20 13.3
Total 150 100
The scores above have shown the majority of the respondents (53.3%) reported Protestant as the
religion, (26.7%) were Catholics while Muslims constituted (6.7%). All other beliefs constituted
(13.3%). With reference to the above scores the Protestants are the majority.

f) Occupation of the Respondents
The table below has indicated scores of occupation categories of the respondents.
Occupation Frequency Percentage (%)
Self Employed 65 43.3
Public Employed 25 16.7
Not Employed 60 40.0
Total 150 100
The above scores indicated that refugees who are self employed to be the majority
with (43.3%), followed by those not employed with (40%) and those working with
public organizations being (16.7%) meaning that refugees resettled at Dzaipi refugee
transit centre are those not employed at all and are surviving at the mercy of any
humanitarian agencies, international communities, NGOs and host government
agencies to access livelihood support service including shelter provision.
g) Respondents experience provision and access of emergency shelter
The tables below present the summary scores on experience of refugees on provision
of emergency shelter.
Refugees with tents
and tarpaulins
Frequency Percentage
(%)
Widows 18 18
Widowers 17 17
Child headed
households
40 40

Total 100 100
(Table 9) Source: secondary data
According to the above presentation, refugees who are from child headed
households are the ones registered as the highest on the emergency shelter supply
list from humanitarian agencies with (40%) scores of receipt of tents and tarpaulins
while the widows and widowers shown to be the lowest on distribution list of
shelter materials particularly to widowers with (17%) followed by widows with
(18%) accordingly as recorded in above table.
Refugees without
tents and tarpaulins
Frequency Percentage
(%)
Widows 30 30
Widowers 40 40
Child headed
households
15 15
Total 100 100
(Table 10) Source: secondary data
According to the above presentation, refugees who are widows with (30%) and
widowers with (40%) scored as those receiving very little support to access
emergency shelter during distribution from humanitarian agencies at Dzaipi refugee
transit centre.
A quote by one of them, “Ever since I came here my sleeping place has always been under
the varandah of people’s houses; I wish I had a son who would look after me! My staying here
is adding me more problems and suffering. Wonder when I will back to my home country!”

The quotes gives impression that the plight of many single headed households who
are in the category of underserved refugees within the Dzaipi transit centre calls for
concerted efforts of humanitarian agencies operating in refugee and internally
displaced peoples (IDPs) camps in Northern Uganda.
ii) Resettlement process
Once in Uganda, the refugees have to be registered by the U.N. refugee agency before
they can be moved to settlement camps where they can build homes, grow their own
food, sell the surplus and become self-sufficient. Officials from the UN refugee agency,
the UNHCR, are being very methodical about registering the South Sudanese who are
crossing into Uganda at a rate of around 3,000 a day. The situation at Dzaipi transit
centre remains dire with serious overcrowding and a critical lack of shelter, water and
sanitation, medical supplies and shelter. A new transit centre is being established at
nearby Nyunanzi where shelter construction began in March, 2014.
At Dzaipi transit centre in Adjumani district, the researcher found out there are
thousands of children running about, tents full of pregnant women, young mothers and
newborn babies including elderly women resting against trees. Men were hardly seen.
Asking one lady who looked helpless replied, “I last saw my husband before I left Sudan; I
don’t know his where about whether he is alive or dead. What I want is to go back home and look
for away to feed my children than sitting here doing nothing most of the time living in small
prison”.

The majority of arrivals registered are less than 17 years of age especially; at Elega
border point a collection centre has been established from where trucks are transporting
refugees to Dzaipi transit centre. The Danish Refugee Council – Danish Demining
Group (DRC-DDG) has constructed two communal shelters at the collection point so far
and three at Dzaipi transit centre where construction of three more is ongoing.
Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Uganda has acquired a plot of land to set up a
reception centre at Nyunanzi in Adjumani District for which a UNHCR site planner has
developed a layout plan. The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is tasked to construct
20 communal shelters there as well as latrines and bathing shelters and will also truck
water daily to the site. LWF is also looking into drilling a borehole as a long-term
solution.
All registered refugees at transit and reception centres have access to World Food
Program (WFP) food rations, including hot meals. Adjumani District connected water
from the gravity flow system to Dzaipi primary school which is serving as an annex to
the transit centre and accommodating thousands of refugees.
According to government data, there are now 46,579 South Sudanese refugees in
Uganda. In Uganda, there is still serious overcrowding at the Dzaipi transit centre in
Adjumani district in the country's north; all registered refugees are relocated to the
settlements around Adjumani where they are given basic relief items including
blankets, mats, cooking equipment, jerry cans and materials such as tents, tarpaulins,

poles and ropes to construct houses. They are also given small plots of land on which to
build their houses.
iii) Emergency Shelter Provision
With over 50,000 South Sudanese nationals having taken refuge in Uganda since war
broke out in Southern Sudan in December, 2013 Save the Children has initiated a
response that will focus on the protection of children, reunification of separated
children and unaccompanied minors, the distribution of non-food items such as tents
and tarpaulins and hygiene and sanitation by constructing toilets, digging rubbish pits
and maintenance of water points to keep it clean for users.
Below is a quote from one of the top managers, “We will distribute non-food items that
include plastic sheeting for tents, mosquito nets, warm clothing for children and shoes,” says
Topher Mugumya, the Emergency, Communications and Security Director at Save the
Children.
iv) Challenges and Problems
From 15th December 2013 to date, the West Nile region has received over 53,000 South
Sudanese refugees. Over 43,945 of these are in Adjumani district while Arua district is
host to over 8,627 refugees. The refugees are being received at Dzaipi transit
centre/primary school in Adjumani District, Ocea reception centre in Arua district as
well as Kiryandongo refugee settlement in Masindi district.

The rapid surge in numbers has severely overwhelmed the social service delivery
capacity of the host districts. In Dzaipi, latrine coverage is estimated at 1:1,230 as
opposed to the standard of 1:50. The ratio of bath shelters is at 1:1,500 versus the
recommended 1:50. Water, too, is scarce, with each person receiving 4.7 litres as
opposed to 15 litres for each person per day.
The majority of the refugees sleep in the open or under trees due to a shortage of
material for construction of housing. Many of them, including children, sleep without
mosquito nets and beddings.
According to extract from the joint field assessment mission carried out last March, 2014
the urgent needs to be addressed as:-
 Relocation exercise hampered by lack of adequate nonfood items in Pakelle in
Adjumani district.
 Records of entries already made project about 70% of the population of new arrivals
to be women and children raising protection concerns. These concerns are real when
viewed against the background of poor lighting around the entire reception centre
now transit centre and its surrounding environments that are all covered with newly
arrived refugees. The fact that the entire Dzaipi transit centre has six (6) temporary
shelters and three (3) permanently built shelters with 14 classrooms at the
neighboring Dzaipi primary school to house 23,000 refugees the extent of protection
challenges for women and children become clearly manifestly clear.

 The number of medical staff remains low and drugs are insufficient at the Dzaipi
center and cannot serve the population of refugees besides the local population.
 Critical need to step up immunization as the influx escalates
 Sensitization of the host populace on some neglected diseases like, sleeping
sickness, polio and conditions like guinea worm that are still active in South Sudan.
 Sensitization of proper hygiene to the refugee population since they are defecating
all over the place.
v) Community Response
As much the new arrivals of Sudanese refugees are being transferred to settlements,
there is need to have a strategy to provide poles and ropes (construction materials) to
the refugees who are being resettled. However, the local population contend that the
previous promise allegedly made by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(NHCR) in early January, 2014 to support the community where the refugees are hosted
with re-forestation in Adjumani has never bore fruit. This is one of the issues making
mobilizing for community support to provide poles and ropes required for the
reconstruction of houses of the refugees resettled in Dzaipi transit camp not successful.
Recommendations
With reflection on this study report, the researcher would like to make the following
recommendations for future action planning to improve on the existing humanitarian
operations in West Nile region, Northern Uganda:-

 It is mandatory for humanitarian and government agencies to put in place
emergency preparedness system where isolated areas within the settlements being
identified for burial grounds of refugees who might have died or lost a relative
during settlement in Uganda.
 Construction of additional shelters for accommodation of the arriving influx of
Sudanese refugees of about 2,000 – 2,500 at daily average.
 Construction of many refuge pits to manage garbage and solid wastes that litter
settlement areas which become breeding place for bacteria leading to increased
incidence of outbreak of communicable diseases.
 Provision of sensitization of the new arriving influx on hygiene practices.
 Construction of additional latrines to meet the minimum standards.
 Installation of additional water storage capacity to keep water available to camp
settlers all times.
Conclusion
Emergency shelter programming to meet the growing demand of refugee settlers for
transitional shelter like tents and tarpaulins and reconstruction materials such as poles
and ropes given top priority in any humanitarian interventions to address shelter needs
of refugee populations located in any refugee camps and settlement sites.

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