World Vision East Africa Regional Leader Margaret Schuler visits Bidibidi refugee settlement

On the 5th of December 2016, Margaret Schuler the World Vision East Africa Regional Leader visited Bidibidi refugee settlement in Yumbe district. Margaret, who was in company of the World Vision Uganda country director Mr. Gilbert Kamanga  begun her day in Yumbe by visiting the refugee collection center in zone 5. Here she was able to inspect World Vision's hot-meal serving points and kitchens.

While inspecting the kitchens, Margaret and Gilbert took part in preparing corn meal for the refugees. Since July 2016, World Vision has been providing hot meals to more than 2,500 South Sudanese refugees daily. The hot meals are served at the reception centers and they comprise of beans plus corn meal.

Uganda has since July 2016 been receiving not less than 2,500 refugees daily from South Sudan. Yumbe district currently has the highest number of refugees in the whole of Uganda, standing at 270,000 persons. In the photos below, new arrivals can be seen boarding trucks to be transported to settlement centers. Every refugee family is entitled to a 30x30 meters plot of land.

In Uganda, refugees are residing in Adjumani, Arua, Koboko, Yumbe, Moyo and Kiryandongo districts. In total, Uganda is home to  more than 565,000 refugees, the highest any country in East and Central Africa is hosting. Margaret toured various settlement areas in company of the World Vision Uganda response team on ground.

Under its child protection programming, World Vision is constructing 20 child-friendly spaces in Yumbe using funding from UNHCR and UNICEF. Child-Friendly Spaces are safe places within a disaster-affected community where children's unique needs can be met. They help children return to a normal routine by offering structured activities, games and informal education.World Vision recognizes that when emergencies occur, children are often the most vulnerable to injury, exploitation, abuse and other dangers. Child-Friendly Spaces are one of the ways in which we prioritize the care and protection of children in emergencies. Margaret was able to visit constrution works at the some of the sites in Yumbe district.

Margaret was also able to visit our WFP food ware houses in Bidibidi, plus a food distribution point in Bidibidi zone 2. There are 6 ware houses in Bidibidi and each is able to store up to 350MTs of assorted food staffs; cereals, cooking oil, biscuits, CSB porridge, sorghum. Every week, we are able to distribute 2,100MTs of food to refugees in Yumbe district a lone.

World Vision Uganda is responding to the S.Sudan refugee crisis in 5 districts of Yumbe, Adjumani, Arua, Koboko and Moyo. World Vision is managing food stocks worth USD$20M from WFP. This includes: distributing high-energy biscuits to all new arrivals crossing into Uganda, which is being done at all Uganda-S.Sudan border points of Oraba, Busia, Elegu and

Payorinya, Adjumani and Moyo districts respectively.