Since 2008 the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) has been delivering assistance and rehabilitation to victims under the assistance mandate across 18 districts in Northern Uganda, providing services to victims of crimes against humanity and war crimes through a network of local and international non-governmental organizations. The assistance mandate of the TFV is distinct from reparations before the International Criminal Court or the payment of compensation to victims. The TFV assistance programme provides a broad range of medical and psychological rehabilitation services for injured and traumatized victims.

The Trust Fund launched its new projects with the Ministry of Health, local government officials at all levels across the districts of northern Uganda, civil society colleagues, local leaders, women grassroots organizations, and donors who were all invited to celebrate this occasion.

Even now several years after the conflict a large number of victims with physical injuries and psychological trauma sustained during the conflict in Northern Uganda remain to be treated and in need of assistance. The TFV selected the six new partners to provide the following rehabilitative services: medical services for victim survivors of sexual violence; trauma counseling and psychological support services; reconstructive plastic surgery to rehabilitate facial, head, and burn injuries; orthopedic surgical services; fitting and repair of prosthetic and orthotic devices; physiotherapy; corrective surgery to remove foreign objects (bullets and/or shrapnel); post-burn contracture surgery and physiotherapy; victim patient community mobilization initiatives; and referrals for post-operative care and follow-up.

In addition to the aims of expanding access to rehabilitative surgical and medical services as well as and enhancing access to psychological rehabilitation support, the TFV identified innovative projects which will support the reconciliation and healing at the community level through sensitization and awareness raising campaigns to reduce the added stigma and discrimination that victims of grave human rights abuses often endure. The Trust Fund for Victims has made a programmatic and financial commitment to support the following new partner organization over the next 3 years from 2015 until 2018:
- Amuria District Development Agency (ADDA);
- Ayira Health Services (AHS);
- Centre for Children in Vulnerable Situations (CCVS);
- Gulu Women Economic Development & Globalization (GWED-G);
- North East Chili Producers Association (NECPA); and
- Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO).

Through a competitive open procurement and review process that was completed this year in 2015, the TFV has selected 6 new partner organizations with the capacity to deliver integrated physical and psychological rehabilitation assistance services for victim in Northern Uganda.

Five of the six new projects will receive funding earmarked for activities that address the harm suffered by survivor of sexual and gender-based violence. The sixth new project is funded from the common basket of voluntary contributions to the Trust Fund for Victims.

The six new projects will be implemented in conjunction with the current and ongoing legacy projects of the Trust Fund for Victims that have been implemented since 2008 in partnership with AVSI and since 2009 with the Centre for Victims of Torture (CVT) to support victims through the provision of physical rehabilitation and psychosocial counseling. Both implementing partners are funded through the common basket of voluntary contributions.

The 2015 portfolio for TFV projects in Northern Uganda amounts to EUR 735,000 and in 2016 the TFV shall endeavor to improve on that figure.