Amuru district has offered a four square kilometer piece of land for opening up a refugee camp in the district.
Amuru district chairman Micheal Lakony told Acholi Times yesterday that the district council had on Tuesday passed a resolution to give the land to settle South Sudanese refugees fleeing conflict in their own country.
The Amuru district resolution will this week be sent to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) in Kampala.
Mr Lakony said one square kilometer of the offered land is in Amuru sub country, two in Pabbo sub County and one square kilometres in in Attiak Sub County.
‘‘The district executive committee pushed that a refugee camp be opened. It was agreed by the full council. What we are waiting for is the assessment team from office of the prime minister to verify the areas,’’ Lakony said.
Lakony explained that the reason Amuru has offered land to settle South Sudanese refugees is so they(refugees) can settle in one location to avoid insecurity and spread of diseases.
The Amuru Chairman noted that his district is an immediate neighbour to South Sudan and receives an overwhelming number of refugees when conflict breaks out in South Sudan.
He also pointed out that opening a refugee camp in Amuru comes with advantages in improvement of some public services like mass immunization, drilling of cleans sources of drinking water, opening up of new schools and roads.
‘‘What will come when the camp is set up is water, school, hospital and good road to the area. As Lakony Michael, I think this will help. We will also take our children to the schools.’’
Thousands of South Sudanese have crossed into Uganda using the Elegu border post since fighting broke out between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his Vice President Riek Machar.
