Nahalomo Aziiza, Iversen Per Ole, Rukundo Peter Milton, Kaaya Archileo, Kikafunda Joyce, Eide Wenche Barth, Marais Maritha, Wamala Edward, Kabahenda Margaret
Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046 Blindern, 0317, Oslo, Norway.
BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2018 May 24;18(1):21. doi: 10.1186/s12914-018-0162-6.
In developing countries like Uganda, the human right to adequate food (RtAF) is inextricably linked to access to land for households to feed themselves directly through production or means for its procurement. Whether RtAF is enjoyed among Ugandan land evictees, is unknown. We therefore explored this among land evictees (rights-holders) in Wakiso and Mpigi districts in rural Central Uganda. We assessed food accessibility and related coping strategies, diet quality and nutritional status of children 6-59 months old, and their caregivers. Effectiveness of the complaint and redress mechanisms in addressing RtAF violations was also explored.
In this cross-sectional study, quantitative data was collected using a structured questionnaire, with food security and nutritional assessment methods from a total of 215 land evictees including 187 children aged 6-59 months. Qualitative data was collected by reviewing selected national and international documents on the RtAF and key informant interviews with 15 purposively sampled duty-bearers. These included individuals or representatives of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, Resident District Commissioner, Sub-county Chiefs, and local Council leaders.
We found that 78% of land evictees had insufficient access to food while 69.4% had consumed a less diversified diet. A majority of evictees (85.2%) relied on borrowing food or help from others to cope with food shortages. Of the 187 children assessed, 9.6% were wasted, 18.2% were underweight and 34.2% were stunted. Small, but significant associations, were found between food accessibility, diet quality, food insecurity coping strategies; and the nutritional status of evictees. We observed that administrative, quasi-judicial and judicial mechanisms to provide adequate legal remedies regarding violations of the RtAF among evictees in Uganda are in place, but not effective in doing so.
Land eviction without adequate legal remedies is a contributor to food insecurity and undernutrition in rural Central Uganda. It is essential that the Government strengthens and enforces the policy and legal environment to ensure adequate and timely compensation of evictees in order to reduce their vulnerability to food insecurity.
在乌干达这样的发展中国家，适足食物权与人获得土地的权利紧密相连，家庭可通过生产或采购手段直接获取食物来养活自己。乌干达被驱逐土地者是否享有适足食物权尚不清楚。因此，我们在乌干达中部农村地区的瓦基索区和姆皮吉区的被驱逐土地者（权利持有者）中进行了调查。我们评估了食物可及性及相关应对策略、6至59个月大儿童及其照料者的饮食质量和营养状况。还探讨了投诉和补救机制在解决侵犯适足食物权行为方面的有效性。
在这项横断面研究中，使用结构化问卷收集定量数据，并采用食品安全和营养评估方法，共对215名被驱逐土地者进行了调查，其中包括187名6至59个月大的儿童。通过查阅关于适足食物权的选定国家和国际文件以及对15名有目的抽样的责任承担者进行关键 informant访谈来收集定性数据。这些责任承担者包括乌干达人权委员会的个人或代表、地区专员、县酋长和地方议会领导人。
我们发现，78%的被驱逐土地者获取食物的机会不足，69.4%的人饮食多样性较差。大多数被驱逐者（85.2%）依靠借粮或他人帮助来应对粮食短缺。在接受评估的187名儿童中，9.6%发育迟缓，18.2%体重不足，34.2%发育不良。在食物可及性、饮食质量、粮食不安全应对策略与被驱逐者的营养状况之间发现了虽小但显著的关联。我们观察到，乌干达有行政、准司法和司法机制为被驱逐者中侵犯适足食物权的行为提供适当法律补救措施，但这些措施并未有效发挥作用。
在没有适当法律补救措施的情况下进行土地驱逐是乌干达中部农村地区粮食不安全和营养不良的一个原因。政府必须加强并执行政策和法律环境，以确保对被驱逐者进行充分和及时的补偿，从而降低他们面临粮食不安全的脆弱性。
