Attacks by Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have forced hundreds of families to flee their homes along the South Sudan border with Central Africa Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
People are fleeing across the border into Southern Sudan, hoping to find refuge from the looting, abductions and violence caused by the LRA.
In the last three weeks, the LRA has repeatedly attacked several villages in South Sudan, CAR and the DRC. In CAR, close to 3,000 people have fled across the border to seek refuge and protection in Southern Sudan.
World Vision has distributed food and other relief essentials to the refugees and internally displaced persons in Ezo. The displaced persons in Source Yubu and Tambura are still in desperate need of relief assistance after fleeing their homes without food and other personal belongings.
As the displaced children face hunger and cold weather, Dominic, 19, tells of the horror of LRA attacks on his family. Dominic was abducted by the LRA in February 2008 along with his father, stepmother and his 16-year-old sister, following an attack on their village.
The LRA released Dominic’s father, but retained Dominic along with his sister.
“If you are caught escaping, they kill you. Three boys tried to escape last year but they were followed, captured and killed,” said Dominic.
Dominic added that the LRA promised to train him as a soldier after two years, but he found an opportunity to escape when joint forces from Uganda, Sudan and CAR attacked the LRA hideout camps in March 2009. Dominic has been reunited with his family in Tambura.
Over 73,000 people have been displaced from their homes by LRA related activities in Eastern DRC, CAR and Southern Sudan in the last nine months, according to United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). The LRA also killed an estimated 170 people and abducted more than 107 people, including women and children.
World Vision is working with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to address the needs of refugees and displaced persons through the provision of food and other relief essentials in various settlement areas in Southern Sudan.
World Vision is implementing water, sanitation and livelihood programs in Ezo, Southern Sudan, and is planning to build a school to provide learning spaces for children who are currently taking their lessons under trees.