Written by Catherine Ntabadde
The skies opened their doors to let the rains out! After communities re-settling following the 2007 deadly floods, the heavy rains have re-surrected again displacing 2, 291 households in Teso and Bugisu sub regions, Eastern Uganda.
According to the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) Mbale Region Program Manager Stephen Wamukota, Serere district is the most hit. The other districts affected are Kumi, Kween and Bulambuli.
URCS field Vulnerable Capacity Assessments (VCA) indicate that 11, 809 households have been flooded and water logged in the sub counties of Bukondo (2, 100), Pingire (3,219), Kabungulu (1, 110), Kapeta (4, 189) all in Serere District, Mukongoro (491) in Kumi District, Ngenge Atari (700) in Kween district.
The Director of Disaster Management Ken Kiggundu says more VCAs are being carried out in the districts of Soroti, Katakwi and Ngora districts.
He says the VCAs will enable URCS come up with a detailed response plan basing on the needs and actual numbers of people affected.
Aside from floods, communities have to worry about food after their crops being damaged or washed away by the rains. In the sub counties of Bukondo 513 households have had their crops damaged, 294 in Pingire, 2,345 in Kabungulu, 10, 273 in Kapeta all in Serere District.
In Mukongoro Sub County 1, 710 households have had their crops washed away, 700 in Ngenge Sub County, Kween District, according to URCS assessments.