The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has got US$16 million from donor countries for humanitarian interventions for internally displaced persons (IDPs)in war-torn northern Uganda, local media reported on Thursday.

UNICEF representative in Uganda Martin Mogwanja was quoted as saying that five donor countries have contributed a total of US$16.5 million for the UNICEF portion of this year's UN Consolidated Appeal (CAP).

The funds will strengthen the agency's accelerated response to the most urgent humanitarian needs of the internally displaced population, including the most vulnerable children and women.
 
Mogwanja said the contributions were encouraging as the agency moved to do more on the ground, but added that there were still gaps.

Over 1.4 million people have been displaced by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels during their 19-year rebellion in northern Uganda.

(Xinhua News Agency July 1, 2005)