Floods ravage 8,900 homes

By Joyce Namutebi            
            
A total of 34, 372 (8, 903 households) people have been affected by floods and water logging in various parts of the country and are in need of urgent support, Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has revealed.

The affected districts are; Soroti, Amuria, Katakwi, Nakapiripirit, Kween, Tororo, Kapchorwa, Lira, Ntoroko, Moroto, Nebbi, Kibale and Kotido, UHRC November Disaster Response Report indicates.

Otuke in Lira district is the most affected with 6, 225 people, according to a press release issued yesterday. In all the districts, URCS has responded to 17, 390 people with essential household items kits.

Floods and water logging have ravaged the country in some parts like Amuria, Katakwi, Nakapiripirit, Kween since March 2012, the release stated.

The Secretary General, Michael Richard Nataka, said the report has been shared with stakeholders like Office of Prime Minister, the UN relevant agencies, Red Cross and Red Crescent partners for information and filling gaps where necessary.

Nataka added that the URCS annual emergency stock of essential household items of 20, 000 kits is not enough to respond to the country's increasing emergency needs.

During the year, URCS has been able to respond to other disasters and emergencies like tribal conflicts, border conflicts, land clashes, population movement of refugees into the country, fire outbreaks, bush fires, school fires, hailstorms, landslides, Cholera, Ebola and Marburg outbreaks, nodding syndrome disease.

Since January 2012, the various emergencies and disasters have affected 192, 094 people countrywide, according to URCS' Disaster Response Report. Of these, 74, 227 have received support from URCS.