Zombo leaders want additional funding for urban refugees

Highlights

• The district has not yet established the exact number of the refugees
• Three years ago, the government rejected plans to set up refugee settlement in Zombo district

By Okaba Patrick

Leaders in Zombo district have expressed concerns over the increasing number of urban refugees accessing services meant for the budgeted populations of Zombo district.

They say since there is an influx of Congolese entering Zombo district through porous borders of DR Congo, the district needs urgent additional funds from the government that cater for urban refugees in the district.

According to the Resident District Commissioner, Grace Atim, Zombo district doesn’t have refugee settlements, but it is being used as a transit to the refugees’ host districts without any benefits from government.

 “The impacts of refugees in Zombo district are being seen openly on service deliveries where health facilities and schools in the district are getting congested with Congolese accessing the services.”

This, she said, has constrained the meagre resources. Several Congolese who fled to the district have not been registered as refugees or granted the status of asylum seekers. But they are incorporated in the communities, hence using the available resources in the district.

Innocent Onega, the LCIII Chairman Paidha Town Council said since the town accommodates more than 50 percent of urban refugees from DR Congo, services delivery is affected especially Paidha health center IV.

“Our town has more urban refugees, but we have not benefited from any grant to support the urban refugees in this country. The little resources are being shared with Congolese who are part of us now.”

In August last year, the Refugee Desk Officer at Arua Office of the Prime Minister, Osakan Solomon, explained during a meeting on urban refugees at Muni University that: “These people are looking for better schools, hospitals, economy, especially banks and forex bureaus, social amenities which they cannot get in the settlements. And this has offered turnaround opportunities for businesses in the urban centers.”