Paper: Protecting urban refugees during covid-19 in northern Uganda

Paper details

Paper authors Grace Akello
In panel on The Safety of Strangers: humanitarian protection in South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting In-Person / Online

Abstract

South Sudanese citizens constitute the greatest proportion of urban refugees in Uganda. In northern Uganda, they live in over-crowded suburbs, characterised by overcrowding, intermittent water supply and low cost housing . They are urban residents whose major livelihood source are international remittances and they rely on UNHCR for basic needs. Some travel to refugee camps in neighbouring districts whenever they discover that INGOs will be distributing relief supplies.

During covid-19, Uganda has experienced lockdowns, restricted movements, alienation and blaming of strangers as disease careers and repatriation of INGO. Plus, many people within across countries have experienced economic loses. It is within this context that I conducted multiple interviews with South Sudanese refugees to find out their everyday experiences during covid-19 containment.

Because of the military deployment to enforce Covid-19 containment measures, many local citizens had to deal with stressful situations ignited by heightened surveillances. This resulted in strangers being particularly targeted, blamed, punished and alienated. South Sudanese refugees living in urban centres, therefore, have to deal not only with Covid-19 as a health threat, but also with political, social and economic impacts of this pandemic. This paper advocates for special interventions for urban refugees whenever institutions are engaging in service provision and safety of refugees.

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Presenters

Grace Akello
Gulu University