Hundreds displaced by floods in Dokolo again
Apr 19, 2024
Several homes have been destroyed and residents displaced, gardens are flooded families are left with no means of livelihood, and roads are flooded.
Rosemary Alwoc Ogwal standing on road in Dokolo flooded. (Photos by Hudson Apunyo)
Hudson Apunyo
Journalist @New Vision
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Just as they were trying to heal from the devastation caused by flash floods in 2020 through 2021, hundreds of families in Dokolo have again been afflicted by the same rendering them homeless and vulnerable to diseases.
Torrential rains coupled with the high rising level of water from Lake Kwania are causing havoc in the sub-counties of Adeknino, Kwera, Kangai, Okwongdul, and Agwata town councils.
Several homes have been destroyed and residents displaced, gardens are flooded families are left with no means of livelihood, and roads are flooded.
In 2020, floods devastated Dokolo district leaving over a thousand families homeless.
The people affected moved to higher ground
Then, Dokolo district wrote a letter to the office of the Prime Minister who sent a consignment of relief items including 15,000kg of maize flour, 5,000kg of beans, and 50 bundles of tarpaulin. However, the blankets were never delivered.
When the floods receded last year, the affected went back to their land and were trying to reconstruct their homes when this disaster occurred again.
Local leaders say the displaced people are sleeping in schools, an abandoned health centre and some are staying with relatives.
Call for President's visit
Rosemary Alwoc Ogwal, the former Woman Parliamentary seat contestant, urged the local leaders to get real statistics on the affected people.
Alwoc said sanitation in the affected areas has become a big concern after latrines are submerged and sinking new ones is impossible due to flooded areas.
“These are conditions that are inhumane, we need to bring it to the attention of our government,” she said.
“We have an emergency in Kachung (Agwata town council), Adeknino, and Kwera. All these people would like government support with housing, clean water, and food,” she said.
Alwoc, the daughter of former Dokolo Woman MP Cecilia Ogwal, called on President Yoweri Museveni to visit Dokolo to assess the situation.
She said when her mother was alive, she went to President Museveni with the same issue, he acted very swiftly and asked the Premier to release emergency aid to the people of Dokolo.
Alwoc appealed to the Government to plan for a permanent solution to the flooding so that people don’t have to leave their permanent homes to inconvenience pupils in schools.
“We are pleading to the premier, please send us support which is sufficient for the people of Dokolo district so that all of us can be able to contribute to the growth of the economy,” she said early this week.
James Otto Apili, the district chairperson, said he had written a letter informing the Office of the Prime Minister about the disaster.
He said the displaced people are sleeping at Kachung Primary and Kachung Junior Schools in Agwata.
He appealed to National Water and Sewerage Corporation to assist the displaced people with clean safe water as their water sources have been contaminated.
Agwata LC3 chairperson Tony Obel Obala said the water is continuing to affect more people and so far over 600 families have been affected.
Levi Okodi Macpio, who lost a brother to the 2020 floods, said they need assistance. Okodi, his brothers including the family of Justice Aweri, residents of Acung Apenyi cell in Agwata have lost a large chunk of family land and homes to the flood and moved to the upper ground.
Acung Apenyi cell LC1 chairperson Gideon Odongo Opio said the previous floods affected them and now a new wave is in place. He says 120 families were displaced.
According to him, his people lack shelter, mosquito nets, sanitation, and food.
Peter Ongom, a resident of the same area says in addition, the grazing land has been submerged and their animals are suffering. The people cannot plant crops and in the end, they will have no means of paying school fees.
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