Realization of the right to adequate food and the nutritional status of land evictees: a case for mothers/caregivers and their children in rural Central Uganda

Abstract

BackgroundIn 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.MethodsIn 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.ResultsWe 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.ConclusionLand 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.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12914-018-0162-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Forced evictions and their social and health impacts in Southern Somalia: a qualitative study in Mogadishu Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps

“…Our qualitative study findings can be used to inform the development of tools to measure the impacts of forced eviction and indicate the need to further investigate associations between forced evictions and child health outcomes. The study findings are relevant for a range of similar humanitarian settings where IDPs suffer from forced eviction [ 3 , 15 , 47 ].…”

“…Research in low-income countries has shown that women’s health is particularly affected by forced eviction as they may experience psychosocial distress, miscarriages, gender-based violence, undernutrition, overweight, physical injuries or death [ 12–15 ]. Eviction can also contribute to malnutrition and infections such as diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and skin infections in children [ 3 , 15 ]. Qualitative studies suggest that eviction is often experienced by individuals as a personal failure and carries stigma.…”

Food Sovereignty and Rights-Based Approaches Strengthen Food Security and Nutrition Across the Globe: A Systematic Review

“…After a major landslide disaster in 2010 in the Bududa district of Eastern Uganda, some affected households resettled in the Kiryandongo district in Western Uganda. Food security was not uniform, and those with access to land were most able to access food and income (Nahalomo et al, 2018). Another study demonstrates that factors such as HIV/AIDS status may be a determinant of marginality, aggravating not only the capacity to work and receive income, but also the ability to participate in solidarity networks, enhancing the negative outcomes of marginality for people's food security (Kalofonos, 2010).…”

“…Protecting the Right to Access Land, Water, and Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, or Redistributing These Rights (E) Most studies in this action type (n = 5) involved cases where reduced rights to the means to grow, raise and harvest food negatively impacted FSN. In central Uganda, rampant land evictions due to increased land sales between 2006 and 2014 resulted in widespread insufficient access to food (Nahalomo et al, 2018). In Cameroon, increasingly resource-constrained populations had less access to wild foods that had formerly been important components of their diets; instead, they were increasingly resorting to cheaper (more refined, less nutritious) imported food, or to eating less frequently (Sneyd, 2013).…”

The Right to Food is Clearly Stipulated in International Human Rights Law: A Number of Challenges Have Riddled Its Enjoyment in Uganda

“…These evictions are justified in the name of promoting area development. 40 A good example is the relocation of the Batwa from Bwindi forests and yet the survival of these people is in the forests. The obligation to protect requires the State to protect individuals" enjoyment of the right to food against violations by third parties.…”