Stephen Mugabi, Africa Facilitator, provides updates on flooding devestation in Uganda. Below is his comprehensive September report. The next post will have his most recent report and prayer requests.
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Floods in Northern-Eastern Uganda - September Situation Assessment
Introduction
It’s been raining and raining for the last two months in Uganda. Throughout 2006, most parts of Northern-Eastern Uganda experienced drought, famine, and almost an end to the 17 year LRA-led atrocities that had devastated the lives of thousands (especially children and women). At the beginning of this year, rains and the return of IDPs to their homeland/villages was considered as a blessing to many communities affected by war and armed conflicts in the sub-regions of Teso, Acholiland and Lango. Unfortunately however, and from July this year, the heavy rains have been more of a burden or threat to the lives of over 300,000 people living in Northern and Eastern parts of Uganda. Instead of settling and embarking on new livelihoods (crop production, building houses and sending children to schools), many are now fleeing from their “new homes” because of the floods. Well over 25 internally displaced camps (IDPs) established for those escaping the LRA violence, are now the most affected by floods. The post-conflict sub-regions of Teso (Amuria, Katakwi, Bukedea, Kumi, Kaberamaido and Soroti); Acholiland (districts of Pader, Gulu ); and Lango (Lira, Dokolo, Amolatar and Oyam) have been seriously affected by the floods. Other areas affected are in the central region (Mukono and Kayunga districts); and Karamoja sub-region (Moroto, Nakapiripit). Kapchorwa (Bukwe and Ngege areas) have been affected as well. The continuous rains have destroyed property, swept crops, damaged most of the infrastructures ( especially roads and bridges). This has made it difficult to access most of these areas in the last 2 months (as the poor roads and weak bridges are either inaccessible or virtually swallowed up). Mud-hut houses, latrines and poor school buildings have been washed away, sunk in and completed destroyed. School going children in most of these areas were not able to resume classes that opened for the third term on September 17, 2007. Many are likely not to sit for their final year examinations scheduled for early November (in case of the primary seven leavers), and others in December, 2007. In most cases, emergency assistance has had to be lifted by the Uganda Government and UN humanitarian agencies. These agencies are only able to reach a few of the affected communities but thousands are also left (especially the ones in the far rural remote and inaccessible places).
Most affected sectors and areas
The areas most affected are in the districts of Amuria (Agoro- Amuria along the borders with Karamoja), Katakwi-Amuria districts, Bukedea and Kumi, Sironko-Nakapiripit highway and surrounding villages along the Pader-Kitgum-Lira road. Property and School Building (Mud- Huts) DestroyedDwelling houses and school buildings (mostly mud and grass thatched) have either collapsed, swept away or completely uninhabitable. With destroyed schools and buildings, the education sector is affected severely in the flooding areas. Over 174 schools are not accessed by the learners because either the classrooms have been destroyed, teachers houses collapsed (because many are built out of mud and grass) , or in some other cases some structures have developed huge cracks which is not safe for both learners and facilitators as a result of floods. Confirmed 119 schools in Teso sub-region, 28 schools in Lango sub-region, over 25 in Acholi sub-region have been destroyed. Of the affected schools, over 80 are primary schools.
Health sector leading to outbreak of diseases: Many sinking latrines and the very few health clinics (also built out of mud and grass) have been swallowed by the floods. Many have sunk in and have left a high risk hazard in the affected areas. There is a likely outbreak of diseases such as malaria, dysentery, cholera and other water borne diseases. Many people (especially children and women) are drinking from the dirty and water- soaked pools or sources that are already flooded. People escaping from the floods are now returning to a few of the existing and congested IDP camps. The absence of clean drinking water, water jerry cans, tents, medicines, and warm shelter is aggravating the hygienic conditions in these camps.
Crops waterlogged or swept away: Crops planted by the returning IDPs have been destroyed or water logged. Local implements and other agricultural inputs, storage facilities (made out of mud) have been washed away. In effect the marauding floods within parts of Teso-Lango-Acholi sub-regions have caused havoc with respect to crop production such that in the next 6 months to a year, there is going to be very low food supplies or shortages in the affected communities. Many people depend on foodstuff like millet, maize (for local flour), sorghum, rice, beans, and potatoes. All these crops are now rotting or water logged.
Key Immediate Areas/Interventions Affected:
- IDPs resettlement exercise- At the end of last year, the Uganda Government intensified its’ resettlement program. Thousands of IDPs were encouraged to return to their communities. The on-going floods have affected this program. Many victims of the floods are now returning back to the camps. Those who had acquired land and grown some food have had their crops and temporary houses destroyed. For them to survive, they are now returning to those camps out of danger with the floods.
- Disarmament Exercise affected- For the period 2006/7, the Government of Uganda had seriously embarked on a disarmament exercise along the border districts of Katakwi-Moroto-Nakapiripit-Pokot and Kapchorwa, and along the border areas of Kenya-Uganda and Southern Sudan. With the on going floods in some of these areas, the exercise has been interrupted. Cattle raiders are taking advantage of the rains and impassable roads. With more flooded areas in Katakwi- Amuria along the border, availability of small guns, and increased presence of IDPs, there may be resurgence or refuelling of ethnically motivated armed conflicts.
- Cattle raids- Due to the impassable roads, the program of reducing cattle raids is likely to be affected. Cattle raids are expected with more rains.
Community Needs in Affected Areas: In the worst hit areas of Katakwi (Oogora, Magoro, Ngariam, Usuku); Bukedea (sub-counties of Koliri, Malera); Omino in Kumi district; Gweri in Soroti, Omot in Pader, and Lira, the immediate community needs emerging from floods include the following:Food, shelter, health services (medical supplies and volunteers), and restoration of infrastructures (roads and building) are some of the immediate things required. Support to IDP returnees and the affected school going children is urgently needed.
In terms of priority, the specific community needs required for the next 6 months are:
- Tarpaulins to save the crops which have not yet been destroyed;
- Tents for shelters- many people are not sleeping in parts of Katakwi and Amuria- they do not have places to sleep and others are afraid of the floods;
- Household items- water jerry cans, cooking utensils, sleeping mats, iron sheets, bicycles for transport in safer areas, lanterns (as there is no electricity);
- Warm clothes and blankets, basins;
- Scholastic/educational materials- books, pens, chalks, benches, chairs, temporary resource classrooms (where school going children could access their education);
- Support to pupils and teachers’ immediate needs- pupils and teachers have been displaced by the floods. A few of them are being housed by their immediate family members. Huts for teachers have been destroyed. Many will need iron sheets and other building materials to reconstruct their premises;
- Support to surviving schools and health centres where some of the affected communities have taken refugee;
- Fire wood and charcoal for cooking and warmth .
Response made so far by Government and Humanitarian Agencies: Since the heavy rains began in mid-August 2007, local government, various humanitarian development and relief agencies have tried to offer quick emergency relief. The government of
Uganda has declared the areas affected in Northern-Eastern regions as emergency disaster zones. Local and international communities are being called upon to render assistance. The disaster preparedness office under the Prime Ministers’ Office has started responding as well as World Food Programme and Red Cross Society among others. The relief that has been offered to the affected population includes tents, mosquito nets, food items, clothing and some medications. But the assistance is completely inadequate as many of the affected communities are not in position to cope. Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) has been helping people to come out of the floods to the safe havens. The most used means are the boats and local canoes as many areas have been cut out and no any vehicle can reach there. The use of the army helicopter has helped to rescue over 150 students in Kitgum and the work is still continuing.
Field Need Assessment
The population that is affected currently has gone up to over 300,000, and the situation is expected to worsen as the rains are still expected till the month of November, 2007. It has been realised that there could be possibilities for diseases outbreak. The most probable disease include cholera, dysentery, skin diseases, respiratory infectious, increased malaria infection and other related water-borne diseases.Despite the fact that most of the humanitarian agencies have began to respond, the magnitude of the needs is still very high as time goes by. There is an increased need for more warm clothing not only for the children who are likely to develop asthma and other related diseases but also for the adults. Temporary shelters are as well a critical and urgent need as most of these people’s homes have been destroyed by the rain. In order to protect against water-borne related diseases, temporary measures to clean water sources are needed. Also there is need for mosquito nets to protect them from the increased number of mosquitoes as a result of floods.The in-accessible schools have many candidates who expect to sit in a months’ time for their Primary Leaving as well as Secondary Leaving Examinations. This poses a great challenge as neither the government nor other relief agencies at present have come out to redress the situation. This therefore requires special attention which among other options might need to set up temporary tents for the affected groups to prepare for their examinations. Assistance is needed in identifying and transporting them to various centres from where they would be currently settled for their coming examinations . In addition those who are not in the candidate classes, temporary means mainly through the use of tents could be the only way to assist them.All these could have been good but there is as well a great need to supply with possible food items to various families.
Association of Evangelicals in Africa Partners in the Affected Areas: The Association of Evangelicals in Africa-Commission on Relief and Development (AEA/RDC) has for sometime been involved with specific programs in Northern-Eastern Uganda since 2001. AEA/RDC has carried out a program on basic education, HIV/AIDS and peace promotion in the flood affected areas. Through Samaritan’s Purse (N)- Operation Christmas Child (OCC), the Edukans Foundation Child-to-Child Gift Boxes and World Sports Supporters Programs, ARDC has reached hundreds of schools and several church-based community organizations in the affected sub-regions. These programs have benefited thousands of school going children who have been affected by the LRA-led war (and now the ongoing floods). AEA/RDC has also established useful contacts in these areas.
ARDC has set up inter-church coordination alliances/networks (ICCs), helped establish 7 resource classrooms in these regions, and is partnering with several schools in the 25 districts currently experiencing floods. Established church based and grassroots community networks working with AEA/RDC and ICC partners now exist in the sub-regions of Lango (LICA): Teso (TICA); Gulu (GICA); Kitgum-Pader (KIPICC); Pokot and Kapchorwa districts .
For example while distributing children’s gifts and resource classroom materials to partners in Pader-Lira and Apac in August-September this year, ARDC’s 4W drive pick-up vehicle and staff were almost affected by the floods along Pader-Lira-Kitgum-Omot way. Some of ARDC’s local partners and beneficiaries of its’ program such as schools in Amuria (Chanigweno-Kapelebyong PS, Arute PS in Aberilela, Orungo PS, Katine Wera PS, Alere PS in Kuju), Orum SS, Aloi SS, Otuke and Barr SS in Lira have been directly affected. The respective ICCs and schools in these areas (especially Teso, Lango and Kitgum-Pader and Kapchorwa) are already appealing for assistance from AEA/RDC.
What AEA/RDC and Partners can do? AEA/RDC has carried out this situation field assessment with a view of sharing the immediate needs of communities affected in the sub-regions, call upon for local and external assistance, and sharing areas of possible engagement/disaster response. These local partners in the sub-regions of Lango, Teso, Kapchorwa, Kitgum-Pader , Karamoja (Pokot-Nakapiripit), are in dire need of help. AEA/RDC is in position to work with partners in order to carry out limited relief assistance in the following specific ways:
- Provide house hold relief items to the most needy and partner communities (items to include tarpaulins, tents, mosquito nets, blankets, food supplies, lanterns);
- Provide some scholastic /educational materials to affected school going children;
- Help out on the needs of partnering schools (children and teachers);
- Provision of bicycles, resource classrooms and temporary shelter for school leavers/P7 candidates;
- Support partners in Teso, Lango, Acholiland, Karamoja and Kapchorwa towards their coping ways/mechanisms;
- Distribution of seeds and agricultural inputs, housing and transport items (iron sheets and bicycles etc..);
- Reach out to selective communities in the far rural remote areas (not reached by government and large humanitarian agencies.
At the time of this situation report, the floods had slightly reduced (with the coming down of the rains). However and if the rains persist, the situation is likely to worsen. We would therefore like to appeal to both our local and international partners to come to the rescue of the affected communities (especially school going children, teachers and needy communities). AEA/RDC and local ICC partners are in position to assist (if helped on some of the areas mentioned above).
Reported by:
Association of Evangelicals in Africa-Commission on Relief and Development (ARDC)
Attn. Stephen Mugabi, Executive Secretary
Kampala, September 21, 2007.
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