Post-Conflict Humanitarian Assistance in Northern Uganda: The Social Work Role

Citation:

Namuggala, Victoria Flavia, and David Kinyumu Katende. 2016. "Post-Conflict Humanitarian Assistance in Northern Uganda: The Social Work Role." In The Handbook of Social Work and Social Development in Africa, edited by Mel Gray, 328-40. Abingdon: Routledge.

Authors: Victora Flavia Namuggala, David Kinyumu Katende

Annotation:

Summary:
"Since 2008, the formerly displaced populations of northern Uganda have been returning home to communities unprepared for the psychosocial and mental health implications of their displacement. However, humanitarian development agencies have tended to approach their return as a technical matter and focused on measurable outcomes. Rather than see returnees as participants in a community recovery process, they have treated them as 'passive victims' (Dolan, 2009, p. 25). Research on reintegration has tended to concentrate almost exclusively on males. As a consequence, programs and policy frameworks have tended to adopt gender-biased research findings, thus perpetuating the cycle of marginalisation of women and young girls in post-recovery programs (Annan, Blattman, Mazurana, & Carlson, 2011; McKay, 2004). Treating them as victims rather than survivors undermines their agency and resilience. While women are mourning their own losses, they continue to struggle to care for children, who – more often than not – have been orphaned or sexually abused, as well as elderly and disabled members within their families. This chapter focuses on the lasting impacts of the conflict in northern Uganda and the role of gender, age, and marital and parenthood status on access to, and use of, humanitarian assistance" (Namuggala and Katende 2019, 328).

Topics: Age, Displacement & Migration, IDPs, Development, Gender, Health, Mental Health, Humanitarian Assistance, Sexual Violence Regions: Africa, East Africa Countries: Uganda

Year: 2016

© 2023 CONSORTIUM ON GENDER, SECURITY & HUMAN RIGHTSLEGAL STATEMENT All photographs used on this site, and any materials posted on it, are the property of their respective owners, and are used by permission. Photographs: The images used on the site may not be downloaded, used, or reproduced in any way without the permission of the owner of the image. Materials: Visitors to the site are welcome to peruse the materials posted for their own research or for educational purposes. These materials, whether the property of the Consortium or of another, may only be reproduced with the permission of the owner of the material. This website contains copyrighted materials. The Consortium believes that any use of copyrighted material on this site is both permissive and in accordance with the Fair Use doctrine of 17 U.S.C. § 107. If, however, you believe that your intellectual property rights have been violated, please contact the Consortium at info@genderandsecurity.org.