Page 79 - FMR64_Trafficking and smuggling & Climate crisis and local communities_2020_web

FMR 64 COVID-19: early reflections 79

June 2020 www.fmreview.org/issue64

Counting urban refugees during COVID-19

Florence Lozet and Evan Easton-Calabria
A case-study from Uganda demonstrates that authorities cannot provide the services and
assistance that refugees need if they do not have good data on the refugee population.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights this issue while exacerbating the challenges facing
urban refugees.
Like most countries around the world, order to collect their food rations. However,
Uganda has not been immune to COVID-19, because of the ban on vehicle journeys this
and the situation in Arua Municipality is no longer possible and there is no way to
highlights some of the most challenging travel to the settlements. Although residing
lockdown issues affecting refugees. The in urban areas while remaining registered
district in which Arua Municipality is in camps is not technically permitted in
located hosts more than 250,000 South Uganda, this is the reality for many refugees.
Sudanese refugees (of a total of more than The failure to collect data on urban refugees
one million across the country), with is side-stepping this reality, and putting
self-settled urban refugees making up refugees in difficult and risky situations.
an estimated 24% of its total population. Access to food has also been restricted
1
Despite these large figures, refugees are as only recognised market vendors can
not included in the national census and now sell their products in Arua, meaning
there have been challenges in documenting that informal businesses and street vendors
them at the municipal level. This is have been forced to stop selling. This
true for secondary cities across Uganda reduction in market vendors has led to
(and even the capital Kampala has only an overall reduction in the food supply
estimates of the actual number of refugees and has resulted in an inflation of food
in the city). This lack of data makes it very market prices with a subsequent impact on
difficult for cities to adequately plan and Arua’s entire population. In addition it has
provide for all their residents, and results devastated the livelihoods of many refugees
in increasing pressure on public services and members of the host communities
including health and education. In times of who usually survive from day to day
emergency like this, it becomes even harder through selling in the informal sector.
to understand the level of support needed Mayor Kato of Arua Municipality
and where those in need actually reside. has acknowledged this tension:
While there have only been 264
confirmed cases in the country (and very “We want to protect the population from
little testing), up to 19th May, the challenges COVID-19 but it seems at the same time that
of day-to-day survival are growing. In there are many restrictions on the market, causing
addition to closing places for public assembly hunger and panic among people.”
(including schools), the government has While this situation is difficult for
banned public transport and non-food everyone, it is particularly challenging for
markets, and has closed shopping malls refugees as the government does not offer
and non-food stores. One of the biggest them food rations (although at least in
challenges refugees are facing in lockdown Kampala this stance appears to have changed
is access to food. Usually, the poorest due to international attention). Even if rations
commute to the city to work, then go back to were available, however, it is unlikely that
the settlements where their families reside refugees would be eligible to receive them
and where they can get their food rations. as they are not officially registered as living
Others depend on a monthly trip back to in Arua. One refugee said that, even in
the settlement where they are registered in exceptional circumstances such as these: