In situations of high population densities per unit area as seen in the camps in Northern and Eastern Uganda, the preservation of sanitation and hygiene is an enormously big challenge that needs careful planning and the use of suitable approaches and technologies. This proposed strategy provides a brief overview of the current sanitation and hygiene conditions in the IDP camp schools and provides some suggestions on how to address the sanitation and hygiene problems. The strategy focuses on low cost technologies and approaches. This strategy has been developed as part of UNICEF’s response to emergencies for use by local governments and NGOs.

Read more or download Abstract Hygiene and Sanitation Promotion Strategy for Schools in Conflict areas.doc  (24 kB)

Lack of adequate safe water and poor hygiene and sanitation for large numbers of people living in internally displaced people (IDP) camps has resulted into appalling living conditions. The main objective of the Camp Community Sanitation and Hygiene Strategy is to provide simple technology options, mobilization, and organisational guidance, for the sustainable promotion of sanitation and hygiene among the internally displaced people. The main focus is starting with small and simple improvements but through an integrated approach progressively work towards the recommendations of the Sphere standards. The strategy paper is a useful document for Local government with IDP camps, and NGOs involved in improving sanitation and hygiene in the camps.

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The following is an extensive list of hygiene practices that protect health in disasters and emergencies. The list may be used as an aid to assessing hygiene practices and risks, and as a means of focusing hygiene messages on a few practices that influence health in a particular situation.

People’s ability to achieve these protective actions depends on the availability of material resources, such as adequate clean water, soap, toilets, etc., and personal resources, such as time and energy.

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The bonfire cast the shadows of dozens of people against the walls of mud and wattle huts in the sprawling internally displaced persons' (IDPs) camp.

"The bonfire was the place where elders, the youth and women met to discuss solutions to problems facing the community," Milton Munu, an elder at Opit IDP camp in northern Uganda's Gulu District told the gathering. "But similar meetings were last held here 20 years ago. Because of insecurity,meetings around the bonfire that used to help the community close ranks have not been held since."

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The paper presents key strategic objectives and actions to build capacity and develop processes to respond to the water and sanitation needs of existing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and the needs of populations affected by future emergency and disaster situations. The broad aim of the strategy is to increase the effectiveness, speed and efficiency of WES response in such situations.

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Some 5.4 million children in Uganda, especially those who have been displaced by conflict in the north, do not have access to safe drinking water, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday 22nd March 2006, world water day.

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This is a two (2) week full time residential course in Kampala Uganda, with one and half weeks of theory and three days of practical exercises at a selected field location. Sessions commence at 8.30 a.m. and end at 5.00 p.m. A certificate will be awarded to those who successfully complete the course.

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By Paul Larcher, Oxfam and REDR (Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief)

In 1994, the civil war between Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda caused 700 000 Hutu refugees to flee to Goma in East Zaire and a similar number to North West Tanzania. The Oxfam programme aimed to provide emergency water and sanitation facilities to the Rwandan refugees who where returning from the camps in Eastern Zaire and Tanzania towards the end of 1996.

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Sanitation is the efficient disposal of excreta, urine, refuse, and sullage. As indiscriminate defecation is normally the initial health hazard in refugee camps, this Technical Brief outlines ways in which it can be controlled temporarily while long-term solutions are devised.

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The women living in IDP camps face various problems including lack of privacy during urinating, defecating and menstruation. Concern Worldwide and UNICEF worked together to promote hygiene education among women to enable them manage their personal hygiene relating to menstruation. A total of 35,000 women living in 7 IDP camps participated in the project. Hygiene education was carried out and backed with hygiene supplies that include pieces of cotton cloth, to use as sanitary pads, 3 pairs of under wears, soap, basin and construction of 96 bathing shelters. A monitoring visit revealed some major achievements of the project that included improved management of personal hygiene with dignity and privacy, addressing the reproductive health issues and sexual gender-based violence, improved classroom attendance among the girls. The project had some constraints mainly brought about by age differences, movements of IDPs and using some of the items for other pressing needs. The project recommends similar efforts to be replicated in other IDP situations. UNICEF and partners adopted the approach for the IDPs in Northern Uganda

Read more or download Promoting Women's Hygiene in Emergency Situation2.doc  (256 kB)