From 2001 to 2002, over 90% of the population of the Acholi sub-region became internally displaced as the result of a government order. It led to a humanitarian crisis that remained hardly unnoticed for some time and from 2003 onwards the region saw an influx of international humanitarian actors. Since 2 years ago, the region is again stable and people are leaving the camps. These so called ‘returnees’ face real challenges going home. They have to settle, rebuild houses, start farming their land. Most infrastructure was destroyed. Also, a change to self-sufficiency is also psychologically a challenge after living in camps for so many years.

The changing situation in Northern Uganda is also reflected in the type of organisations operating here, as well as their programming. Humanitarian organisations have started to pull out. Bilateral donors shift their funding from the LRA affected areas to Karamoja, a region facing instability due to cattle rustling. However, many development organisations view the situation in LRA affected areas still as ‘too humanitarian’ and do not go there. Both humanitarian and development organisations are guided by their donors (often the big multi-laterals) in their decision-making. Only few organisations seem to make a smooth transition to recovery and development activities.

Of course there are government efforts. The ‘Peace and Recovery Development Plan for Northern Uganda’ was re-launched as of the 1st of July, a year delayed after a struggle for funding and getting the coordination in place. The question is whether the implementation is adequately timed, let alone the lack of capacity to implement the programme. The local governments are weak and not yet able to deliver services and some say that people had even easier access to services in the camps. Aid organisations are now supposed to coordinate their activities with local governments and the latter should take the lead in the recovery process. But as one humanitarian NGO noted: ‘We are bullocks in working with the governments!’

This made me wonder once again how the international aid system is able to respond to changing realities on the ground. Local governments are not making life much easier either, asking ‘sitting allowances’ and ‘transport compensation’ for every meeting an NGO has called. The ‘price lists’ are circulated.