| Rome (Fides Service)- “The situation in northern Uganda is the most serious humanitarian emergency in the whole world at this moment ” said Giampaolo Silvestri, head of AVSI (Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale) programmes for Africa and the Middle East who just returned from a mission in northern Uganda where for years civilians have been at the mercy of militiamen of the Lord’s Resistance Army. “One figure is sufficient to describe the gravity of the situation: 95 % of the people are in refugee camps in their own country ” Silvestri told Fides. “Only the towns have people living in them, the villages are empty. The people are terrified of the guerrillas. Every night at least one or two of the camps furthest away from towns are attacked. Most women and children leave the camps at night to sleep in hospitals where they are relatively safe” the AVSI worker told Fides.
“At Gulu, the main city in the region, as many as 7,000 to 8,000 children sleep at the city hospital. Every night the children sleep in makeshift beds inside the hospital compound and at six in the morning they make their way on foot back to the camp some situated ten kilometres away” Silvestri told Fides “These are the luckier ones. Camps further from the cities are attacked every night. Night after night people are killed, wounded, children are abducted, taken to train and fight with the rebel soldiers”.
“In theory the Ugandan army should protect these refugee camps but the troops are badly equipped and scarcely motivated” Silvestri said. The army is presently engaged in a vast offensive, “Fist 2”, attacking rebel bases. “But the people are discouraged they have little hope that the war will be over soon” Silvestri said.
“L’AVSI has operated in the area for decades supplying support to 5 hospitals, 3 run by missionaries, 2 government owned” Silvestri told Fides. “We support 8 camps in Kitgum, supplying tents, blankets, clothing while food is supplied by the United Nations World Food Programme Unite. We also dig wells and latrines and, where possible, provide seeds and farm tools. The land here is fertile but war prevents cultivation of crops. Only land around the cities can be cultivated”.
“This tragedy must be brought to the attention of world public opinion. We cannot remain silent about these people who are victims of violence” Silvestri told Fides. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 26/572004 righe 40 parole 448)
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