By Alex Gahima
At least 347 children have been separated from their parents while fleeing war in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Red Cross team leader at the Nyakabande Transit Camp Abel Nuwamanya.
According to Nuwamanya, the Uganda Red Cross has been supporting the reunification process of restoring contacts of children who have been separated from the parents.
At least 97 children have been reunified with their parents since the beginning of the Congolese influx into Uganda via Bunagana on 28th March 2022.
The revelation was made yesterday during a relocation of 1000 Congolese from Nyakabande Transit camp in Kisoro district to Nakivale Settlement Camp in Isingiro district.
The Nyakabande Transit and holding camp currently has more than 16,000 Congolese.
Nuwamanya says tracing of parents of missing children is made possible through phone calls to all the other 15 settlements in the country as well as checking back with the Red Cross networks in Eastern DRC to ensure that the children are identified and reunified with their families.
A report from the office of the Kisoro Resident District Commissioner (RDC) indicates that 65% of the asylum seekers at the holding center in Nyakabande are children who need to be protected.
Water tanks with the capacity of 135,000 liters have also been constructed at the camp to ensure mothers and their children have access to clean safe water.
“This is a social protection issue that cannot be ignored because Women, children and men need clean safe water to remain healthy and retain their humanity and dignity, Nuwamanya explained.
Anxiety and Depression Cases overwhelm Nyakabande HC II
A source at Nyakabande HC II in Nyakabande Sub County, Kisoro district has said the health facility needs to be upgraded to a HC III in order to meet the demand from the Congolese and the host communities.
According to John (not real name), the health facility can handle up to 500 patients daily, most of whom are Congolese.
The most common diseases treated by the Outpatient department (OPD) include Malaria, Gastritis, Sepsis, acute diarrhea and UTIs among others.
The wards are however filled with patients suffering from nasty wounds, depression and anxiety. Some cases of cancer have also been detected.
John says, NGOs like Medical Teams International and other humanitarian agencies have done well to support the health facility with medicines, man power and paying medical bills for referrals to St. Francis Hospital, Mutolere.
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