Eastern Uganda limps from drought to floods
By Sharon Tibenda
22nd Aug 2011: In what appears to be a tragic case of jumping from the proverbial “frying pun to the fire”, many eastern Uganda districts are now experiencing unusually heavy flood-causing rains after suffering several months of serious drought that was threatening to cause famine in the region.
According to the UN’s IRIN news agency, the Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness Mr. Musa Ecweru said the long dry spell in the eastern Ugandan district of Bulambuli that left thousands needing food aid has been followed by torrential rains, raising fresh fears of flooding in the area.
“…I flew over the districts around Mt Elgon three days ago. The rains are pounding the mountain and all the districts surrounding it are likely to face flooding. Already Butaleja is flooding. Bulambuli, Bududa, Tororo and others will also be affected”, Minister Ecweru is reported to have said.
In our report last week, [see: 13,500 people face famine in Bulambuli district] we reported that an acute food shortage has hit the district of Bulambuli with a total of over 13,500 people in the district going without food for days on end. The looming famine in the district was caused by a long dry spell that caused many food crops to suffer stunted growth.
Now all of a sudden, the heavens have open up. According to Mr. Martin Owor, the Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness and Management in the Prime Minister’s office, at least 10,000 people are at risk of landslides in the area. Last year, torrential rains triggered landslides in Bududa district, killing 300 people and forcing thousands to abandon their homes in the mountainous villages of Nametsi, Kubehwo and Namangasa.
The National Environment Management Authority [NEMA] has since warned of a deepening crack on Mt Elgon that runs 40km from River Lwakhakha on the Uganda-Kenya border through Manafwa, Bududa, Mbale, Sironko and Kapchorwa districts.
Just like the prolonged drought before it that brought serious food insecurity to the previously fertile and productive eastern region, the current torrential rains and flooding could spoil any planned harvests by washing crops away and also make it difficult for relief agencies to access the affected areas.
According to IRIN, in the past few days alone, floods have displaced at least 100 families and destroyed hectares of farmland in Butaleja’s Mazimasa and Himutu sub-counties. END. Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
