WORRY AS FOOD RATIO CUT PUSHES REFUGEE CHILDREN TO THEFT

Muleterwa Anatoli the commissioner police community policing in the Uganda police while responding to the demands of refugees. Photo by Godwin Abedican

By Godwin Abedican

Arua

There is an increasing worry among refugees in the settlements as a number of refugee children have resorted to theft of food due to the reduction in food ratios to the refugees caused by dwindling funds towards refuge response.

As a result of the Food support reduction by partners, since July 2023, 14% of refugees receive 60% food rations, 82% of refugees receive 30% rations, and 4% are discontinued from food assistance.

According to Emokor Jimmy, the Deputy settlement commandant Rhino camp refugee settlement, after the reduction in food rations the refugees were expected to embark on growing some food crops to substitute for the cuts but they have failed to embrace it.

“There is a lot of theft of food among children and even adults as a result of this reduction in rations. Much as the partners reduced or withdrew food support to some refugees, there are also those who don’t want to hustle and they end up looting food of the others. That is what is happening here,” he confirmed.

Duop Chol, a refugee from the Nuer tribe in Ocea Refugee settlement recommends that parents must be responsible for the upbringing and discipline of their children.

“Those who are working in the market, both locals and we the refugees, if your child is roaming in the market trying to steal, later on at home  as a parent you need to administer a slight kind of punishment to make the child understand that theft is not a good thing. If you tell your child not to steal but goes on to do so, then you need to discipline him or her because killing of thieves is very common in Uganda and we see them killing thieves openly before people. It is better for a child to be caned than to be killed by the owner of the things that he has stolen,” Duop said.

However, while giving his remarks on the matter, Muleterwa Anatoli, Commissioner for community policing in the Uganda police force called upon the refugee parents to style up as he blames what the children are doing on the poor mind set among the refugees and failure by parents to take.

“Simply, some parents don’t want to provide. Some parents don’t want to look after children and this has led to the death of people, this has led to the imprisonment of people and this has led to separation of families. This has led to many children going to the streets. Just simply because parents are not providing and have been disunited,” Muleterwa said with a lot of concern.

“WFP currently provides monthly assistance in the form of food and cash to 1.4 million refugees in 13 settlements across Uganda. To effectively provide emergency support while enabling refugees to become self-reliant, we will need more donor support. We call upon you, members of the media, to work with us to tell the stories of refugees, mobilize resources and see them not just survive – but thrive,” he appealed.