Gulu fire leaves over 400 homeless

Jan 28, 2002

OVER 400 people were left homeless after more than 43 grass-thatched huts were burnt in Industrial Area ward, Gulu municipality on Friday. The homeless are in urgent need of food, shelter and clothing.

By Dennis Ojwee OVER 400 people were left homeless after more than 43 grass-thatched huts were burnt in Industrial Area ward, Gulu municipality on Friday. The homeless are in urgent need of food, shelter and clothing.The fire was caused by a woman only identified as Lily at about 1.00pm. when she was cooking in her grass thatched hut. The fire quickly spread to and gutted the other huts in the neighbourhood, eyewitnesses said. The woman is reportedly under police custody where she ran for protection, fearing a lynching from the people whose homes had been burnt. The area LCs however, said the act was not intentional though they thought it was careless. They appealed to the Government to rescue the homeless so that the people do not starve.This brings the total number of huts burnt down in Gulu since December to 137. At least 40 huts were set ablaze by rebels of the LRA in Atiak in Kilak county in late December. Fifteen hut were burnt at Alero displaced persons’ camp early in the same month, followed by eight others at Palaro Rajab in Gulu municipality.The office of the District Disaster Preparedness Committee (DDPC) in Gulu promised to work round the clock to see to it that some emergency relief agency is lobbied to help the people who lost their homes and property in the fire.

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