External Evaluation of IAS and ADRA’s SMC/ Sida funded Humanitarian Programme in Northern Uganda

Since the outbreak of hostility in South Sudan in December 2013, Uganda has received over 1.2 million (UNHCR June, 2017, ugandarefugees.org) refugees and asylum seekers from South Sudan of which 645,000 arrived since 8 July 2016. UNHCR indicates that over 224,000 South Sudanese refugees are resettled in Adjumani district while over 198,000 are resettled in Arua district.

The level of influx is overwhelming and has exerted pressure on social amenities like water, health, electricity and education in the reception districts of Adjumani, Arua, Kiryandongo, Yumbe, Moyo and Kampala. Food insecurity is acute, water situation stressed with acute water shortages, depletion of the natural vegetation high and high insecurity for women and children.

The evaluation focuses on work related to the refugee settlements in Arua and Adjumani with the stated goal (from 2016 Application to Sida): Improved resilience and livelihood, education and wash facilities for displaced people in Uganda. The program constitutes projects based in Adjumani (ADRA) and in Arua (IAS), while the evaluation investigates both projects separately, the purpose is to generate an overall picture of what is contributing to resilience and generate shared learning between the two project sites and among the actors involved. Through a working website, field notes as well as other evidence was shared as the evaluation process progressed.