Jennifer Warren

Seeking Shelter

The LRA has been fighting in northern Uganda since 1986, after Museveni came to power, in a civil war that has claimed an estimated 100,000 lives and caused around 1.6 million refugees to flee. The UN's former head of humanitarian affairs, Jan Egeland, described the guerrilla war in northern Uganda as the "biggest neglected humanitarian emergency in the world".

Following the beginning of the joint military operation "Operation Lightning Thunder" on December 14, 2008, the LRA have increased attacks on civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan and Central African Republic.

Over 15,000 Congolese have fled into Southern Sudan seeking refuge, where UNHCR is working with a number of humanitarian organizations in the relief effort. Thousands of internally displaced people are still hiding in the bush in DRC, Southern Sudan and CAR, terrified to make the journey to the refugee settlements in Makpandu, Lasu and Ezo, set up by UNHCR with the support of the Government of Southern Sudan.

Commissioned by UNHCR

'Seeking Shelter' on BBC

The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) is stationed along the border between Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, participating in joint operations to root out the Lord's Resistance Army. In Gangura, 6 miles from the border of DRC, they protect hundreds of Congolese refugees who are making their way to the new UNHCR site in Makpandu.Makpandu is currently hosting over 800 people, with almost 300 more arriving each week. A second site will soon be created in Ezo, where another 2,000 Congolese have crossed the border.
   
UNHCR trucks transport Congolese refugees and their possessions to the newly created UNHCR site in Makpandu, Southern Sudan. From Duru, DRC, Boribye jumps on the moving truck to join her husband and daughter, Mbodu. Close to the border of Southern Sudan, the remote village of Duru has been victim to repeated LRA attacks since September, the most recent occuring over the Christmas holiday.
   
UNHCR trucks transport Congolese refugees and their possessions to Makpandu. The journey from Gangura, 6 miles from the northern border of DRC, to Makpandu, is only 56 kilometers but takes 3 hours due to the condition of roads in Southern Sudan.
     
  
Birunga, age 13, escaped alone from his village in Democratic Republic of Congo after his father was killed by the LRA. He was taken in by a Sudanese family in Gangura, and continued his journey by truck with 61 other Congolese refugees to Makpandu. Birunga traveled with only the clothes on his back and two new bicycle tires, which he was going to sell in the Nabiapai market when he fled. UNHCR will place him with a family at the Makpandu site while attempting to locate his relatives.
   
Congolese refugees say goodbye to their Sudanese host families in Gangura after boarding the UNHCR truck that will take them to Makpandu.
   
Sungipio Anibiya and her baby Balribia Ungare join 50 others from Gangura, Southern Sudan, on the border of northern DRC, for the journey to Makpandu. Sunigipia hopes to reunite with her husband at the refugee site.
     
  
Mabe Oba, age 11, fled from the village Nampari in northern Democratic Republic of Congo. After living in Ganguri with a host family for one month, he hopes to reunite with family members also making their way to Makpandu.
   
UNHCR trucks transport Congolese refugees and their possessions to Makpandu. These children were traveling with just their mother, after losing their father when the family fled Duru, DRC.
   
The journey from Gangura to Makpandu, Southern Sudan, is dusty and long, but nothing compared to one month living in the bush that people have endured since fleeing their homes in northeastern DRC.
     
  
Dina Sinigallia, head of the UNHCR Emergency Response Team in Yambio Southern Sudan, registers Congolese refugees along the roadside between Yambio and the northern border of DRC.
   
The 3-hour journey from Gangura to Makpandu is not for the faint of heart. The roads are bumpy and dusty, leading to motion sickness and covering everything in red dirt.
   
Boribye traveled with her husband and daughters Baby Merci and Mbodu from Duru, a remote village in northern DRC that has been victim to repeated LRA attacks since September, the most recent occuring over the Christmas holiday.
     
  
Gimarigu Gomorobanga and her daughter Alima are transported to the Makpandu site. During a break from the bumpy roads, Gimarigu fixes Alima's hair.
   
Congolese refugees travel by truck from Gangura, 6 miles from the northern border of DRC, to the newly created UNHCR site in Makpandu. Many hope to be reunited with family and friends upon arrival.
   
A flood of Congolese refugees wait for the trucks to arrive to Makpandu every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, hoping to reunite with family members as they arrive from Gangura.
     
  
From Bitima, DRC, Mibitere and her family decided to flee into Sudan after her brother-in-law was killed by the LRA. After a two-day journey by foot, they stayed with a host family in Gangura for three weeks.
   
From Bitima, DRC, 4-year-old Mirungu's family fled into Sudan after her father was killed by the LRA. After a two-day journey by foot, they stayed with a host family in Gangura for three weeks.
   
Chinbacire, age 8, registers with her family at the UNHCR site in Makpandu.
     
  
Baby Merci sleeps under a UNHCR tarp at Makpandu. Her mother Boribye fled with her two daughters from Duru, a remote village in Orientale Province, DRC that has been victim to repeated attacks since September.
   
The Catholic Diocese in Yambio, Southern Sudan, provides hot meals to new arrivals at Makpandu. The cooks and servers are also refugees, employed by the Diocese for 15 Sudanese pounds per day.
   
A herd of cattle are escorted by Dinka cattlemen outside the UNHCR site in Makpandu. Local commerce appeared quickly outside the camp, and market wares for sale include vegetables, cookware, furniture, hot meals, sodas and cigarettes.
     
  
Merci Jandu seeks treatment for combination malaria and intestinal problems at the Makpandu Primary Health Care Center, supported by the Ministry of Health/Government of Southern Sudan. The Makpandu PHCC is now serving over 800 Congolese refugees in addition to the local population of Makpandu.