New Study Released: Wide-spread Trauma in Government Death Camps

Casually Reporting the Acholi Genocide

The situation in Acholiland may well be the most well-documented case of genocide in the world. The conditions which persist have been studied, photographed, and analyzed in every way possible, in order to generate more funding to "fix" the problem, yet diseases continue to devastate communities unable to escape an endless trap of destruction.

The Monitor reports that the recently released study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical medicine underscores the futility of the "protected villages" created by the NRM regime:

... although the camps have been specifically set up to protect civilians, that is not the case," said Roberts.

He added that the huge impact of the fighting on civilians in a relatively small, densely populated area meant it was plausible for symptoms of mental trauma to be higher in Uganda than in countries such as Afghanistan."

"Out of the 1,210 IDPs assessed during the study, more than half (54%) displayed symptoms of PTSD and more than two thirds (67%) showed signs of depression"

READ THE FULL STUDY: [PDF]

The Ugandan government and other international agencies have produced similar studies with similarly devastating statistics.

Yet, in 2008, the majority of people in Acholiland are in flux, some are closer to home, most are struggling to find basic services such as clean water, adequate food, health care and education for children. (Northern Uganda has a very young population, with an average of more than 40% of camp residents under 15 years old)

- XUG Editor

*Photo Credit: AVSI, a rural classroom, students studying on the floor; Universal Primary education (UPE) has failed in northern Uganda.


[UPDF and]
Kony's War Victims's Stress Levels Highest

The Monitor (Kampala)

NEWS - 6 June 2008 - Posted to the web 5 June 2008

By Grace Ntabaalo & Agencies

According to a new study, people living in the conflict areas of northern Uganda have the highest rate of post-traumatic stress and depression ever recorded among IDPs in some war-torn areas worldwide.

The study, conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Gulu University in 28 camps in districts of Amuru and Gulu in November 2006 said that the stress was as a result of 'extremely high civilian exposure to violence and poor healthcare'.

The report says that 20 years of civil war have left many traumatised and in poor health due to lack of medical care and access to food and water.

According to the study, the rates of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among the IDPs were higher than those recorded for displaced groups in other conflict areas, such as Afghanistan, Croatia and along the Thai-Burma border.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an emotional illness that develops as a result of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe experience.

Out of the 1,210 IDPs assessed during the study, more than half (54%) displayed symptoms of PTSD and more than two thirds (67%) showed signs of depression.

Some of the symptoms include; insomina, nightmares, isolation,aggression and guilt. The lead author of the report, Bayard Roberts said, "Many of the people interviewed experienced ill health without medical care, experienced rape or sexual abuse, lack of food and water as well as higher rates of trauma exposure."

Early this year, while speaking at the World mental Health Day, Dr Fred Kigozi, director of Butabika mental Hospital, said that at least nine million Ugandans suffer from some form of mental disorder including PTSD, depression, anxiety, epilepsy and schizophrenia.

He said the majority suffering from PTSD hailed from the post-conflict areas of northern, eastern and western Uganda.

The study also notes that three quarters of those questioned said they had witnessed or experienced the murder of a family member or friend and more than half reported having been beaten or tortured.

More than 40 per cent said they had been kidnapped and 14 per cent had been raped or sexually abused.

"The levels or PTSD and depression recorded in this study are amongst the highest recorded globally," reads the report.

More than 90 per cent said they had experienced lack of food or water and two thirds had been ill without medical care because of the fighting.

Mr Roberts also said many of the traumatic events experienced by the interviewees had occurred while they lived in the IDP camps.

Some 93 per cent told researchers they did not feel safe in the camps, due to fears of further attack, outbreaks of disease and worries about limited access to food and medical care.

"This suggests that although the camps have been specifically set up to protect civilians, that is not the case," said Roberts.

He added that the huge impact of the fighting on civilians in a relatively small, densely populated area meant it was plausible for symptoms of mental trauma to be higher in Uganda than in countries such as Afghanistan.