Health concern is a growing demand as health conditions become more reported in the camp. With the large influx and continuous arrival of refugees, health centers have been crowded with the demanding numbers, hence causing delays in service providing and referrals.
The refugee health report[12] ascertains that the number of deaths per 1,000 population across Palabek, Imvepi, Rwamwanja and Rhino Camp had the highest incidences of reports still suggests that the health conditions in Rhino camp is demanding.
In response, UNHCR supported 95 health facilities across 12 refugee hosting districts by 2017 that provided a total of 2,129,027 medical consultations in 2017 out of which 22% were to host population. ... There were 19 maternal death across all refugee settlements which were all investigated and documented.
Local reports from the RWC (Refugee welfare council) still out cries for a better and professionalized mode of treatment, they continued to demand for more local language speaking volunteers to be added to the hospital as language aids hence increasing communication efficiency between the patients (Refugees) and the medical officers
Rhino camp refugee has a number of mini health facilities:
Some of the refugees grow cash crop such as Tobacco while others grow food crops. And also some rear animals such as goats[18][19]
Water
According to the Uganda Refugee Response Monitoring Settlement Fact Sheet: Rhino Camp (January 2018), there are few water sources and difficult-to-pump boreholes contribute to long wait times for refugees to access water. Poor-quality ground water means expensive piped water networks have to be constructed; with the settlement dependent on water provisioning through trucking as construction is ongoing. Additionally, the quality of water from the tanks is poor, with reports of occasional contamination.[20]
The other water sources in Rhino Camp refugee Settlement Arua District include:
Boreholes in all the seven Zones of Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement
Motorized Solar Power Borehole
Water solar pump system which pumps water and produces 200,000-300,000 litres of water per day helping to raise the amount of water each refugee household gets from the initial average of 5-7 litres per day to 18 litres per person per day.[21][22]
Water trucking
The main organization dealing with water in Rhino camp is Danish refugee council.
Environment/Natural resources
Two settlements of Rhino camp and Imvepi host 13% of the refugee population[23] with majority women, children and youth hailing from South Sudan.
With the intense pressure on natural resources, refugees are conflicting with host communities on natural resources for survival, there is increased degradation of soils, water, tree cover leading to high temperatures, low water table, drought, irregular rainfall patterns, low crop yields, heavy winds that cause intense destruction to the temporary houses and food crops among others. With support from CARE International in Uganda, Rural Initiative for community West Nile, a local NGO based in Arua district in West Nile Sub region initiated climate action programs like planting of trees, recycling non biodegradable materials, and others. The refugees were also bedeviled with the inability to access natural energy when the need arises. This situation will spur them to rely heavily on unclean and nonrenewable energy sources such as charcoal, wood, traditional biomass, and kerosene which will eventually pollute the environment as these energy sources can emit high intensity of carbon content[24]
Rhino camp is divided in to main regions, Upper Rhino and Lower Rhino, and each of these different segments of Rhino camp refugee settlement have a diverse texture and terrain in its lands, for example the upper part of Rhino which includes, Ofua zone, Omugo, Amuru and the rest has a rocky terrain, and the lower Rhino which includes Ocea zone, Eden zone, Odobu zone and the rest has a sandy terrain of soils which affects the farming.
Social work environment
Rhino camp refugee settlement has been blessed with numerous and yet sprouting community led initiatives that work tirelessly alongside other partners and donors in levying support in different thematic areas to the refugees. These community based initiatives are organized and recognized by the Office of the prime minister Uganda and work under a district directive. These initiatives seek to provide a platform for refugees in skills development, peace building and social cohesion, gender equality, entrepreneurship and livelihood, education, health etc.
Some of the youths in rhino camp have been trained on how to make briquettes to improve their status of living by different organization like Kulika-Uganda, YSAT.[5]
Relocation
Due to the current influx of refugees, Rhino camp settlement has been a host to 116,000[25] refugees with more still coming.
Upon arrival, refugees are registered and sent to reception centers where their data is taken and then they are transferred or relocated to settlements.
They receive social amenities and domestic items which include blankets, mats, solar lights, saucepans, and food.