The insecurity effects every facet of life, and no one who lives in the north remains untouched. Education, health services, and village and family life are deteriorating as the crisis continues, and some 325,000 residents of Gulu and Kitgum, about 40 percent of the estimated population of the two districts, have been displaced into makeshift camps. Water, food, and sanitation are inadequate in the camps, and there is significant infant and child malnutrition. Many displaced children are unable to attend the temporary schools that have been established. The number of adults is probably larger.
Captives leave the LRA in several ways.
They slip away while on the move, run away during a battle, or are caught by the army. The LRA targets adults as well as children, especially government workers and teachers. The Government says its efforts to negotiate with the LRA have been rebuffed, and the level of insecurity seems to increase rather than subside. The long-term effects of living with trauma and displacement will remain even if the conflict were to end immediately. The potential effects of armed conflict on children are profound.