World Emergency Relief has sent a new shipment of relief supplies to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Uganda attempting to return to their homes despite threats to the fragile peace.
The WER shipment left the UK at the same time as aid agencies in the volatile region started work on contingency plans in casefresh clashes broke out between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) after their ceasefire expired last week.
A further 20 tons of humanitarian and development aid was shipped to northern Uganda as part of the charity's ongoing support for people affected by conflict in the region, including educational equipment, hospital beds and medical supplies.
The shipment was put together by WER in conjunction with Scottish charity Glasgow the Caring City and has been distributed through WER's local partner agency in Uganda, All Nations Christian Care (ANCC).
Also included in the shipment were soap, clothing and household items which will be used to assist displaced people as they resettle in their rural home areas.
WER has been working in partnership with Ugandan charity ANCC since 2001 to assist the delivery of humanitarian relief to tens of thousands of people who have been displaced by the activities of rebel army, the Lord's Resistance Army.
More than 600 tons of emergency relief aid, hospital and educational equipment and medical supplies have been delivered to ANCC by WER over the past six years.
WER and ANCC are also working together to improve access to safe water sources for rural communities in northern Uganda and southern Sudan. To date, 50 water boreholes have been drilled by WER/ANCC in IDP camps and rural communities in the region. An additional drilling rig is due to be shipped to Uganda within the coming months for use within remote communities in southern Sudan where lack of access to safe water continues to threaten the health and well-being of thousands of people.
