Bidibidi on the brink of a catastrophe, amid limited resources

Tanks like this one contain water, and are a common sight in Bidibidi as well as in other various settlements of South Sudanese people in Uganda. But sometimes they are empty - leaving refugees to find water elsewhere – including in creeks and ponds, which is usually dirty. Picture by Ochan Hannington | 23 Feb 2019

One of the world’s largest refugee settlements, Bidibidi, is facing acute lack of water. The populations say their problems are exacerbated by long dry seasons.

Leaders say sanitation is deteriorating quickly. They worry about outbreak of water-related diseases, if the problem remains. Furthermore, they claim the situation exposes women and girls to sexual abuse.

Efforts towards solving the problem have not been successful. Authorities say, “funds are in short supply”.

The settlement is located in Uganda’s district of Yumbe, in Northern region of the country. Bidibidi is a home to nearly 300,000 refugees. They fled South Sudan war that is estimated to have caused deaths of nearly 400,000 people, according to the findings of The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Opio John Paul reports.