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4. Operations of NGOs under the Northern Uganda Humanitarian Response
4.1 Introduction
4.1.1 History
The Conflict in Northern Uganda that started in 1986 resulted at its peak in up to 1.4 million Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) living in camps. Humanitarian WASH coordination started in early 2005, and was done on a on a
sectoral basis by district authorities. The coordination under the Cluster approach led by the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) began in late 2005. In late 2006 this was strengthened with the recruitment of a
dedicated cluster lead and closer guidance from the global WASH cluster. The approach has mainly been used in
the North, but was also applied during flooding in eastern Uganda in 2007.
The main responsibilities of the WASH Cluster are:
- Partnership and coordination of members and partners.
- Setting up and maintaining an efficient information management system.
- Ensuring that members and partners adhere minimally to acceptable humanitarian standards and wherever
possible to Government standards.
- Capacity building of members and partners.
- Address cross cutting issues for sustainable programming.
- Ensuring adequate emergency preparedness and contingency plans are in place.
- With OCHA and other stake holders advocacy for the cause of the Cluster.
The approach has improved coordination of the humanitarian response among agencies and with government.
4.1.2 Membership
The WASH cluster comprises the UN, NGOs involved in humanitarian WASH response mainly in northern and
eastern Uganda. The current registered members include UNICEF, WHO, ACF, ACTED, Amref, Aqua Fund, ASB,
AVSI, C&D, CAP AIDS, Caritas, CEHN, CESVI, COOPI, Concern Worldwide, COW Foundation, CPAR, CRS, CVM, FHI,
GOAL, GVC, HESSEP, HIDO, IAS, IFDI, IMC, IRC, KADF, LWF, Malaria Consortium, Madef, Malteser, Medair, Mercy
Corps, NETWAS, Oxfam, PACE, Plan International, Premiere Urgence, UWASNET, Welthungerhilfe (formerly GAA),
World Vision, YAK and ZOA. The Red Cross movement and MSF participate actively in cluster activities. Key
government ministries (Water and Health) and development partners (notably DFID and ECHO) attend cluster
meetings regularly.
4.2 Transition
Since 2006, there has been relative peace in Northern Uganda, which led to the IDPs moving to transit sites and
some to their original homes. In line with this, the Government of Uganda (GoU) launched the Peace, Recovery
and Development Plan (PRDP) to expedite the delivery of services in support of the return process, and to spur
development in the region.
The WASH Cluster prepared a transition implementation strategy in 2007 and for an exit strategy in 2008. The
objectives of the WASH Cluster exit strategy are:
- To hand over coordination role in the WES sector from the UN-led humanitarian response to the governmentled
coordinating bodies both at district and central level in a graduated and sustainable manner.
- That NGOs exiting the districts hand over their projects to district governments in a sustainable manner.
- That NGOs continuing in the districts, with the aim of initiating a development programme, begin to implement
projects in the districts, initially in accordance with the WASH transition strategy and later progressing to
support the district developmental plans as enshrined in the PRDP.
4.3 Options for Institutionalisation of Humanitarian WASH Coordination
4.3.1 National
The main coordination body at national level is the Water and Sanitation Sub-Sector Working Group (WSSWG),
now part of the wider Water and Environment Sector Working Group (WESWG). The WSSWG meets quarterly to
address policy and major sector implementation issues. This works closely with the Water and Sanitation Sector
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