COVID 19 and Refugees: “Let’s not leave them alone”

Salesian Mission offices and other Don Bosco friends around the world are great supporters of our Refugee Ministry in Palabek. In serving the refugees, their motto has been, “Let’s not leave them alone”. Now during the Covid 19 Epidemic, particularly, the Salesian Mission Procure in Warsaw, Poland has been doing a lot of awareness campaign and resource gathering with the slogan “Covid – Help. Let’s not leave them alone”. Their campaign to assist us has also inspired us. This is exactly the motto and mission of the Salesians living and serving among the refugees in Palabek, Lamwo district, northern Uganda.

The words of Fr. Jeffrey Albert, one of our dedicated missionary priests in Palabek posted the following online message that summarizes the situation and challenges of refugees in Palabek aptly:

“Covid 19 has caused a high-risk situation for the refugees. Unfortunately, movements are found among refugees from South Sudan sneaking through the unofficial borders and from other refugee camps.

 If refugees contract the virus there is no place for quarantine in Lamwo district. The neighbouring Gulu town which has quarantine center has already crossed 68 patients. Of recent, the transiting truck drivers about 50 of them who went to South Sudan are found positive.

 In South Sudan the infected persons have crossed over 2000. Our Refugees in Palabek Settlement Camp are not following rules and regulations that could control the spread of Covid 19. Given to their life style, refugees are often uncontrollable.

 Soon District Officials will meet with the Camp authorities and take necessary actions. Children are missing out on education. They could have only Third Term of classes with three months. We may have to promote the children to next classes.

 There is an urgent need for food distribution to vulnerable people who live around the camp. People with small businesses like salon and venders have become vulnerable and need support. We all need to work together keeping safety regulations.”

During this Coronavirus and the subsequent Lockdown period, the situation in Palabek Refugee Settlement is largely about food insecurity. The other challenges are failure in accessing essential services such as medical, failure to offer child protection, closure of schools, absence of leisure activities, absence of church/psychosocial services, and the controlled movements in and around the Refugee Settlement.

1. Refugees are entitled to monthly allowance of food ration which is the only source of food and nutrition. Now due to Coronavirus epidemic and other related economic challenges, the refugees’ food ration is reduced by 30%. Now every individual person receives 9 kilograms of Posho (maize flour), 6 kilograms of beans, 600 millilitres of oil and a few grams of salt. This is almost impossible for an adult person to sustain oneself for one month. This can create hunger, malnutrition, and other nutritional deficiency. Lack of food and underfeeding can also create frustration, anger and other social unrest.

4. The medical services given to the refugees has been always poor. In Palabek, three health units with minimum facilities for 56,000+ refugees are surely inadequate. These facilities are also shared by several thousands of native Ugandans. Now due to lockdown, mobility of the medics and supply of medical services and other emergency services are a big challenge. There is a surge in diseases such as ulcers, gastric, and other problems related to poor feeding.

 

4. Since 18 March 2020, the government closed all the schools. Now that children are at home without classes, and having less food and lack of everything causes anxiety and fretfulness among children and young people. Redundancy causes teenagers and young adults to engage in anti-social activities and often times misbehaviour related to sexual activities. The situation surges due to the absence of service partners who are not active in this lockdown period.

 

4. In Palabek Refugee Settlement there are 11 primary schools, one secondary school and one technical school that serve at least 25,000 school going children and youth. Now that due to COVID 19 all the schools are closed, the students are forced to waste one year of education. As most refugee learners are above their school going age, this situation affects refugees more than the other normal children. Government advocates online learning, which is almost impossible for refugee children. They do not have access to modern facilities.

We brought back all our Primary and Secondary children we have been sponsoring in boarding schools. We printed out some learning materials and circulated among our students. If we have some finances, we can buy a few text books and circulate among the students.

5. Refugee Camps are filled with young people and children; in Palabek there could be at least 30,000 grown up children and teenagers. They are all looking for opportunities to play, engage in sports and other youthful activities. Salesians were offering these facilities to a few thousand youths. But we were forced to close our youth activities due to the epidemic. We are rather pained by this. Hope the lockdown will be over and we restart our activities.

 

5. In the same note we are forced to close our chapels within the Camp. We were praying, having liturgy and having youth gatherings in 16 chapels. Now is going to be three months we were not going to our chapels. By not having liturgy, praying together and gather for fellowship the refugees are missing out on their psycho-social support which is very vital for their life in any refugee camp.

In the past few days, Coronavirus spread has increased in northern Uganda and in the peripheries of the Refugee Camps. The situation in South Sudan seem to be worse with over 2000 infections. Refugees too move looking for food and other basic needs. We often receive distress calls from hungry people across the border requesting for food. We were allowed to ferry food twice, now that the infections are more, we are unable to take food across the border. It is a pitiful situation.

The Lockdown also affects the Don Bosco Missionaries who live in the middle of the Refugee Camp. We are often stressed, sometimes lack basic needs, and every now and then we are sick. Like the refugees we too look forward to the end of epidemic and return to normal life, by this we are able to serve our beloved refugees better.

We thank you for your generous help that we receive often. We assure you that your help reaches them fast. We promise to keep in touch with you often. We promise you of our prayers and request you for your prayers.

Thank you.

Fr. Lazar Arasu SDB and the Salesian community in Palabek.