This page summarizes the key needs of victims of terrorism in Uganda as captured through the stories exhibited on this website as well as lessons learnt from Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum’s work.
It is important to understand that no matter how long ago an attack happened, the scars never fade, and many times victims struggle to cope throughout their lives. It is additionally important to acknowledge that there is no one size fits all when it comes to support programs for victims. While certain support interventions can engage the entire victim population, many interventions need to be customized as victims come with varied demographic characteristics and life responsibilities.
As highlighted in the preamble to the Madrid Memorandum on Good Practices for Assistance to Victims of Terrorism, how well the victims’ physical and emotional needs are met can have a significant impact on how well the victims are able to cope with the shock they experience because of terror attacks. Prompt and efficient assistance and support to terrorism victims from the moment of the attack through normalization and beyond can have a positive effect on victims’ mental health and ability to cope.
Documented Needs of Victims of terrorism in Uganda
Health Related Needs
The health-related impact of violent extremist and terrorist attacks are varied, and affect different individuals, families and communities differently. In the context of the most recent terror attacks experienced in Uganda, such effects have included loss of life, loss of limbs, damage to body organs leading to hearing impairments and skin disorders, as well as different levels of mental illnesses. For those who survive and their families, the health-related needs include;-
- Financial assistance to meet recurring medical expenses that sometimes last through a victim’s
- Connections to specialized medical care to treat complex medical effects such as those of victims with fragments stuck in sensitive body parts.
- Ongoing mental health support services to help victims cope through short-, medium-, and long-term treatment administrations.
Quality health care support for victims is not only a need but a right enshrined in international law as well as the country’s constitution.
At the International level, Article 2 of the International Convention on Economic Social and Cultural Rights provides that each state party to the Convention undertakes to individually, through international assistance and cooperation to the maximum of its available resources to progressively achieve the full realization of rights recognized in the charter and this includes the adoption of legislative measures for its people to enjoy the best attainable standard of physical and mental health.
At the National level, National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy XIV and XX read together with Article 8A of the constitution states that Uganda shall be governed based on the principles of national interest and common good enshrined in the directive principles of state policy which oblige the government to provide health and basic medical services to the people of Uganda.
Livelihood & Economic Security
Terrorism impairs the economic rights of victims in a number of ways. When breadwinners are lost to terrorism, the resulting economic shockwaves leave victim’s families in a very vulnerable condition where they at times struggle to meet the basic necessities of life.
Victims that survive the attacks are also sometimes left with physical and mental disabilities that require them to acquire new livelihood skills to cope or that compel them to depend on others for provision when they can’t work any longer.
It is therefore crucial to establish the economic impact of terrorism on individual victims and their families, and support them with mechanisms that enable then regain their economic security to the extent that they are at least able to cover their essential needs sustainably and with dignity. Such support may also include direct financial reimbursement to victims for expenses that resulted from the attacks, such as medical costs or lost wages.
Educational
While our engagements with victims so far have not involved many victims that are students, there has been a common thread among parents who lose breadwinners due to terrorism requiring urgent support with the education of their children. By robbing families of breadwinners, terrorism directly affects the chances of children of victims attaining a decent education. The case of Naome Katana highlights this clearly.
In absence of a special fund for education of children of victims, or support to enable guardians of victim’s children to achieve sustainable livelihoods, the future of these children is put in real jeopardy.
Under objective XVIII of the National Objectives and directive principles of state policy, it is noted that the State shall take appropriate measures to afford every citizen equal opportunity to attain the highest educational standard possible. Yet despite this guarantee, and Uganda being party to the most important regional and international conventions protecting the right to education, this element of victim’s support has received no aid.
There is no victim we have engaged that has reported receiving support to cope with economic pressures that emerge due to their new condition, and there is no victim that has reported receiving support to fund their children through school even while still bed ridden. It is also important to highlight that as many victims treasure the education of their children, finding themselves helpless to meet school fees and other school necessities causes them immense mental distress that further complicates their overall healing process.
Justice as Healing
Access to justice is a basic principle of the rule of law, and historically, criminal justice systems have been largely focused on the apprehension, prosecution and punishment of perpetrators of crimes of terrorism. Effective criminal justice processes would not only restore confidence in criminal justice institutions and reinforce society’s commitment to the rule of law, but would also compliment the healing processes of victims.
The role of the criminal justice system in countering terrorism remains challenging however, with conviction rates related to terrorism being very low compared to other forms of crime. This may partly explain why majority of victims of terrorism engaged for this exhibition expressed low trust in the criminal justice processes which may require increased legal awareness for victims to appreciate the dynamics associated with trying and convicting terror related offenses.
Bullying & Discrimination
Discrimination is when a person is treated less favourably than others because of some aspect of their identity. Such aspects can include age, religion, language, opinion, ethnicity, disability or overall state of health.
Some victims have reported being discriminated in access to job opportunities due to their scars, and employers doubting their capacity to deliver due to some of their physical disabilities. Other have reported direct harassment from community members who treat them like a plague. Being discriminated against gives rise to powerful emotions that can further complicate the healing processes of victims.