Northern Uganda internally displaced persons profiling study

This household-based study presents a contextual analysis of how internally displaced persons (IDPs) live in Gulu, Kitgum and Pader areas in northern Uganda, their displacement history and their views about the future.

Some of the main findings from the report include:

• IDPs in Northern Uganda are extremely poor, with limited possibilities for cash income, almost no credit available, and very few receive remittances from relatives. They depend on humanitarian aid
• a minority believe that their situation will improve, but most believe it will deteriorate
• the IDP population is young, with more than 50 percent are under the age of fifteen. As many as 25 percent of the children have lost one, or both of their parents, and a huge number of the women are widows
• men are just as involved as women in economic activities
• one of the very few positive aspects of the camp is the working educational system.

The authors note that the information presented may be useful in the formulation of scenarios for the return of IDPs in Northern Uganda. In particular, IDPs displacement is only a short geographical distance and if peace comes to Northern Uganda, as many as one third of the IDP population, or approximately 400,000 people, may start moving out of the camps spontaneously. Another third will move if some assistance is given, while a final third will remain in the camps, at least for a while. The implications are that assistance providers will have to plan for at least three scenarios that may take place at more or less the same time and place. [adapted from author]