Heavy
torrential rains that started in mid-July have resulted into flooding
in the low-lying areas of Amuria and Katakwi. The region has
not experienced flooding of this magnitude in any recent memory. After
conducting its own assessments, meeting with local and district leaders
and holding discussing with the United Nations Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), ACT member, Lutheran World Federation
(LWF) reports the following:
The
greatest damage is to food security as the crops of the first season
(groundnuts, cassava, and sorghum) are rotting in water. The rains
will also affect the second season, as the affected households will
not be able to plant with the current situation. In one village
Bisina Ngariam,
approximately 60 acres of groundnuts, 37 acres of cassava, 22 acres
of potatoes and 45 acres of sorghum are all submerged and the food
is unsalvageable.
Most
of the homes in the low-lying areas have become cracked and damaged
by the flood waters. By Monday, August 20, five huts had collapsed
and more than half of the 300 huts in the Ngariam Corner camp were wet with cracks. The camp leader
reported that they were likely to relocate to the nearby secondary
school. In another camp, Olir
Magoro, six out of the 124 homes collapsed
and the rest were not fit for habitation because of the flood-induced
cracks. Out of the four sub-counties visited by LWF, only 40 households
in two sub-counties were displaced. No displacements were reported
in other parts of the project area. However, more displacements
are expected if the rains continue, given the unstable housing situation.
The
flooding is having an adverse affect across all areas of daily life.
The homesteads of those who are severely affected are soggy with
water, minimizing daily activities. In the Ocwin camp, in a three-week period 40 cattle have died as
well as 30 sheep, 20 goats and 50 pigs. Traditional pit latrines
are full of water and the resulting sanitation situation and potential
cholera outbreak threatens the wider community. Some boreholes are
also submerged and water outputs have changed colour
and worms have been spotted in some samples. Overall, the water
logging has increased the incidence of malaria and most roads are
impassable with water over flowing bridges.
In
Katakwi, the most affected sub-counties
are Ngariam, and Magoro followed by Kapujan, Katakwi and Omodoi. In Amuria, most affected are Abarilela,
Acowa, Obalanga
and Asamuk.
From
the assessments conducted, OCHA estimates that about 32,000 people
(7,250 households) are affected and have had all their agricultural
fields submerged in the five of sub-counties of Katakwi
(Ngariam, Magoro, Kapujan, Katakwi and Omodoi). Estimates also
indicate that 2,800 of these households have lost their homes and
need shelter intervention. In Amuria,
it is estimated that 6,000 have lost their food sources in the fields
while 2,500 households have affected homes.
The
rains are expected to continue until late September.
LWF
determined the following prioritized and critical needs from the
assessment and interactions with the local community:
- Tarpaulins
for shelter and for drying the harvested food.
- Blankets
and mosquito nets for the most affected.
- Food
relief for the most affected.
- Agriculture
support (cassava cuttings in particular).
LWF
also determined the following coping mechanisms of the local community:
- In
one camp, community members are using bed sheets to dry the harvested
food.
- Harvesting
premature cassava and groundnuts (samples were seen rotting).
- Beddings
are cushioned from the damp floor using grass or logs.
- Most
affected are spending nights in nearby institutions like churches
and schools.
- In
one camp, the men sleep out on clear nights near a bon fire while
the women and the children sleep in the few habitable huts.
The
communities have not received any external intervention so far.
However, the Katakwi local government
is compiling a report seeking support from the Office of the Prime
minister. LWF is considering an appropriate response. LWF Uganda
for the time being will be using funding from their current appeal
AFUG71 to respond to some of the immediate needs.
Any funding
indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira,
ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org).
