Heavy rainfall and flooding in Uganda is affecting hundreds of thousands of people in the northern and eastern parts of the country.
Homes have been destroyed and people displaced by the floods have sought shelter with friends and in schools, health centres or already established camps for Internally Displaced People (IDPs).
Health Centers in the affected areas are experiencing shortages of critical drugs, while the incidence of water-borne diseases, respiratory tract infections and malaria are expected to increase dramatically in the coming weeks.
Valuable harvests have been lost and new-season planting has been delayed, meaning the next harvest is not expected before February 2008 at the earliest, so those affected face food insecurity in the coming months.
The flooding has also affected open water sources, and sanitation facilities – particularly pit latrines – have been flooded or collapsed. Hundreds of schools have been damaged by flooding, meaning many have been unable to open.
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WORLD VISION/David Sseppuuya
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World Vision has a number of programmes in the flood-affected areas, but access to these communities is a major challenge. Immediate needs are in the areas of shelter, blankets, mosquito nets, clothes and tarpaulins. Additional needs include water and sanitation facilities, malaria prevention and emergency food aid.
In the longer term, agriculture support, livelihood interventions and rehabilitation of some damaged infrastructure will be necessary.
World Vision Uganda is distributing 3,000 kits that contain tarpaulins, blankets and mosquito nets, among other things.
As the forecast is for continued rainfall for the coming months it is expected that the situation may worsen and spread.
