Kasese flood victims need 11 million litres of water

WILSON ASIIMWE

The Uganda Red Cross Society has said Kasese flood victims need up to 11 million litres of safe water if disease is to be avoided, amid fears of a cholera outbreak.

Heavy rains that resulted into floods at the beginning of this month destroyed all toilet facilities and this has since affected water sources.

Dr. Bildard Baguma, the under secretary general, Uganda Red Cross Society said any donation was welcome and called upon people and organisations of good will to continue donating.

Baguma was speaking at the Uganda Breweries headquarters in Luzira on Tuesday as the beverages maker donated water purification tablets, sanitation and hygiene kits worth sh30m to benefit victims of the flooding.

“The donation we have received today from UBL will treat at least 1.6 million litres of water,” Baguma said. “However, we need 11 million litres of safe water for Kasese and this donation goes a long way towards the needs of the people.”

Baguma said the aftermath of disasters like the one in Kasese come with poor sanitation and hygiene.  “If you have improper sanitation, disease breaks out and spreads quickly. Hygiene is vital in emergencies.  We are therefore grateful to UBL for supporting this area,” said Baguma.

Baguma said the 83 sanitation kits including hoes, spades, axes, wheelbarrows, ropes and mattocks will help in building of new toilet facilities to alleviate the dangers of disease.

“When the floods came, toilet facilities were all destroyed and right now this is a challenge,” he said.

Richard Wejuli-Wabwire, the UBL Corporate Relations Director called upon people of goodwill to step forward and partner with the Uganda Red Cross and the Government of Uganda to mitigate the impact of the floods disaster.

Wabwire pointed out that the donation was in line with UBL’s corporate social responsibility commitment.

More than 18,000 people were displaced after rivers Nyamwamba, Mubuku, Rwimi and Nyamugansi burst their banks and flooded Kasese Municipality and surrounding areas.

The Uganda Red Cross and Government of Uganda launched an appeal for humanitarian support saying it required sh1.8b towards its emergency and recovery interventions for 18,000 people (3,000 households) affected by the flood in South Western Uganda.