YUMBE, Uganda, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Under the scorching sun, midwives at a tented health facility here at the world's largest refugee settlement are taking care of over 20 pregnant mothers, among them some teenagers.
The midwives at Bidi Bidi Reception Health Center III said the numbers can reach up to 300 mothers per month.
These mothers, mostly South Sudanese, are being treated by only two midwives.
As the number of South Sudanese refugees continues to grow internally, the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced on Thursday that over one million South Sudanese have crossed to Uganda since the fighting started in 2013.
The refugee agency warned that the number of the refugees is swelling against dwindling service provision.
Uganda needs 674 million U.S. dollars to take care of South Sudanese refugees this year, but only 21 percent has so far been raised.
"The funding shortfall in Uganda is now significantly impacting the abilities to deliver life-saving aid and key basic services," the refugee agency said in a statement.
Across settlements in northern Uganda, health clinics are being forced to provide vital medical care with few doctors, healthcare workers and medicines.
Schooling is also being impacted. Class sizes often exceed 200 pupils, with some lessons held in the open air.
Many refugee children, according to the refugee agency, are dropping out of school as the nearest schools are too far away for them to access easily.
The Ugandan government has previously argued that it is overwhelmed by the numbers and the international community should come to its rescue.
The UN and Uganda in June this year held a fundraising conference in a bid to raise money to deal with the rising numbers.
According to UNHCR, the countries that have pledged funds and those that have not yet are being urged to raise the money.
According to some refugees Xinhua talked to, the food rations donated by the World Food Program (WFP) have greatly gone down.
"The food I get from WFP can only last two weeks instead of one month. The food is very little," Sourur Kinyaka told Xinhua at Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in the northern Ugandan district of Yumbe.
There are ongoing efforts to stop the fighting in South Sudan but they have not been successful so far.
