“By 2015, Uganda had become the third largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, after Ethiopia and Kenya, with more than half a million refugees. That number is rising rapidly”. Refugees have fled to Uganda from countries in conflict like Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, Burundi, and several others. This influx has resulted in a cultural melting pot of various ethnicities and religions. The largest refugee settlements are located in northern Uganda, proximate to South Sudan. Other sizeable settlements can be found along the Tanzania / Rwanda border in the south and southwest of Uganda. “At 31 May 2014, the asylum seeker/ refugee population was 379,668 individuals in the settlements and Kampala with an additional population in various transit centers while they wait for longer term assistance in the settlements.”

Out of a total 57 million global deaths in 2008, 36 million, or 63%, were due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Comparatively, it is estimated to be that NCDs are only responsible for 27% of mortalities in Uganda. In Uganda, the amount of deaths due to injury are roughly about 33% less than the global average. Therefore, the large remaining portion of deaths in Uganda can be attributed to communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases. Prevalence of these diseases are often correlated with environmental and behavioral factors. In regards to behavior, malnutrition and unsafe sex are the leading causes for communicable diseases which include nutritional deficiency, diarrhea, lower respiratory infections, and HIV. Leading non-injury, non-NCD deaths caused by environmental factors include air-borne illnesses, air pollution issues as well as WaSH (Water and Sanitation Hygiene.)

Refugees around the world face poor living conditions within resettlement camps. In particular, women face more troubles regarding these environments; this includes issues of safety and privacy. One could ask what is being done to mitigate or reduce these conditions, and what can be done in the future to assist and aide women refugees; however, there is already a plethora of acts, guidelines, recommendations, and organizations that are researching, developing, and implementing ways to send help to women in these threatening environments.  The next question that might come to mind after learning this is, why do these conditions persist?

Uganda’s population increased significantly over the past 20 years; its growth rate triple that of the world average. As a result, existing water and sanitation services have been faced with unprecedented demand. The availability of natural resources in Northern Uganda cannot adequately serve the needs of the people residing in the area. Water and sanitation are two of the major issues with which Ugandans struggle today, and though progress has been made, it struggles to keep up with this growth.

Traditional homes in both Uganda and South Sudan are constructed primarily out of natural, local resources. In South Sudan, for example, approximately 90% of homes are grass thatched mud huts. Materiality and construction methods are arguably the most significant aspect of the challenge to provide homes to refugees fleeing to Uganda refer to. Considerations of price, availability, ease of construction, and appropriateness must be asked. The solution should take into consideration the social and cultural factors of both populations.  However, it must also consider design and construction by the UNHCR creating an even tougher challenge. This study aims to explore the vernacular architectures of both South Sudan and rural Uganda in comparison to the specifications for refugee resettlements provided by UNHCR via the Sphere Handbook. It will also evaluate the materials used in these traditional designs in respect to availability and price.

South Sudan imported 537 million USD worth of goods in 2014. Over half consisted of food and food products, while a third of the goods were machinery and transportation products. In the same year, South Sudan’s exports totaled 4.03 billion USD. The country’s main export is crude petroleum, which accounts vastly for 99% of the load, and 60% of the GDP. South Sudan is the most oil-dependent country in the world. China is the chief consumer of the product, purchasing 98% of this natural resource. These figures make South Sudan’s global market incredibly vulnerable. The current conflict in the country is highly detrimental to the country’s economic productivity. In 2015, the country’s GDP dropped 5% because of the conflict. Conversely, the 2014 positive trade balance was a good sign to the nation’s wealth. The balance may be a huge factor in the (13%) rise of GDP per capita prior to the conflict. If the country can find peace it has hope for its GDP to rise. Unfortunately, this positive balance of is not found within the country. Only 10% of people in the country work in industry or commerce jobs, so the distribution of wealth is poor. For those working outside the oil sector, which is approximately 80% of the population, wages are low or unpaid. This large sector of informal agricultural work accounts for only 15% of the GDP. This is because the majority of this work is done by unpaid households that are living off of subsistence farming. The remaining work is governmental, and the unemployment rate is 12%.

Currently, the average time refugees spend living in temporary camps is 17 years. The duration in which refugees remain in camps and settlements has been steadily increasing for years.  With the average time period increasing, it may be beneficial for these camps to consider transitioning, or prepare for permanent communities.  UNHCR has already addressed that refugee camps need to become more sustainable and develop more long-term plans in order to become truly successful. There are plans to integrate refugees into host communities in order to benefit both the refugees and the host community’s economy; however, steps must first be taken to improve existing infrastructure in these camps.

Land use in Uganda is comprised of various policies and regulations that regard the native population. A level of complexity is brought to Uganda’s land use that is unique to the country, this complexity is caused by the large influx of refugees. Citizens of Uganda can purchase or inherit land. However,  issues are arising with the growing population of refugees receiving land from the government, often taken from the native population. By understanding and using the systems that are already in place, we can learn how to strategize land use and the location of newly arriving populations in an equitable way.

Often, refugees are relocating to refugee camps, where people are gathered in slum-like conditions, devoid of a sense of place or home. In Northern Uganda, one problem that incoming refugees face is a lack of community, or belonging. There are many factors that can help facilitate a sense of community among a group of people. These factors can be psychological, social, emotional, or physical. The study of what makes an individual feel welcomed often starts with a look at how an environment psychologically affects an individual. There are generally four aspects that encourage a sense of community: membership, influence, integration and fulfillment of needs, and a shared emotional connection.