A rapid assessment of the war-affected “Night Commuter” children in Northern Uganda: Engaging politics and shaping policy through public health

There is an urgent need for models of rapid yet thorough public health assessments to inform politicians and policymakers regarding complex humanitarian emergencies. More natural disasters and civil conflicts are inevitable thus uncovering the public health impacts amongst vulnerable displaced populations is essential yet time and rigor are often seen as a zero-sum-game in research.

This session will analyze a case study of a rapid assessment of displaced children in Northern Uganda. The goal is to elucidate a model for timely yet comprehensive evidence-based public health assessments that are scientifically objective and politically neutral yet powerful in influencing politics and shaping policy.

The case study from Northern Uganda is rich with lessons learned. In July 2006 the governor of Kitgum District near the Southern Sudanese border threatened to close 13 shelters where over 4,000 displaced children came to sleep every night. This population known as the “night commuters” fled their home every night from what the government thought was simply a fear of rebel abduction. This hypothesis was challenged with the results of a 5 week assessment conducted by a team of researchers sponsored by UNICEF and Caritas.

The team gathered qualitative data (key informant interviews n=35, focus groups n=30, direct observation) from the shelters and over 15 villages and IDP (internally displaced persons) camps. This revealed major gaps in understanding while helping inform the quantitative instruments (a stratified randomized survey of night commuting children n=715 with a neighborhood cluster control of non-night commuting children=410). Community based participatory methods made the project more inclusive, comprehensive, and helped create consensus which was essential to successfully engage with local and national politics.

The results offer new insights on the complexity of displacement, the right to safety and sanctuary, and the right to freedom of movement. Over a dozen push and pull factors were uncovered offering new reasons why “night commuters” fled their homes and were attracted to shelters. The lack of space/huts in IDP camps in addition to cultural and resource factors were important to inform immediate interventions. Recommendations include critical yet actionable steps for the humanitarian organizations, community based organizations, government, security forces, and individuals working with the displaced children.