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Uganda - Abducted Girls Return

New Vision (Kampala)
March 28, 2007

By Joyce Namutebi
Kampala

A total of 1,000 abducted girls have returned from captivity by the Lord's Resistance Army, according to the latest UNICEF report.

"Of the nearly 25,000 children estimated to have been abducted since the late 1980s, 7,500 are girls and 1,000 of whom returned from LRA captivity having conceived and produced children," the 2007 UNICEF humanitarian situation report stated.

Children and women, who constitute 80 percent of the internally displaced persons, have been direct targets of attacks, sexual violence and abductions.

Available data indicate that the HIV prevalence rate stands at 9% for women and 7% for men in the conflict- affected districts of Lira, Apac, Gulu, Kitgum and Pader. The national average is 6.7%.

UNICEF, in conjunction with its partners, provided voluntary counselling and testing and prevention of mother-to-child transmission services to approximately 13,200 people in north in 2006.

It also provided antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to more than 80,000 people.

It adds that 56 formerly abducted children, including 33 'childmothers' have been reunited with their families.

The 20-year long conflict between the Government and the LRA has affected the people of Acholi, Lango and Teso sub-regions and displaced an estimated 1.6 million people.

UNICEF, however, notes that despite the ongoing expansion of humanitarian assistance and programmes, the region still faced challenges of providing essential health services, clean water, nutrition, quality education and decent shelter.





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