NEWS– A section of people who were affected by disasters in Kasese district and temporarily stayed in camps have started leaving their places of refuge to stay with their relatives. In May this year, landslides and floods befell the entire district but at least nine out of 44 sub-counties were mostly hit.
Kyondo, Kyarumba, Mahango, Nyakabingo, Maliba, Bwesumbu, Bugoye and two town councils of Kyarumba and Ibanda-Kyanya were severely affected.
Property including houses, crop gardens and livestock belonging to vulnerable families were permanently and partially destroyed.
The Kasese District Disaster Management Committee recorded 13 people who lost their lives and more than 4,500 people displaced during the incident and found themselves in 18 temporarily established camps spread across the district.
The Prime Minister’s Office and Red Cross together with local and national non-governmental organizations came to the people’s rescue through delivering food and non-food relief items.
Several other humanitarian organizations also came on board although they have since stopped bringing relief. It is against this background that the district asked those still staying in the camps to go back and erect tents in their remaining pieces of land or opt to stay with their relatives.
Mr. Juvenal Muke, the Chairperson Local Council III for Kyondo Sub-county that housed at least five temporary camps says most people have since left the places of refuge.
Muke told the advocacy dialogue meeting organized by Oxfam International at the District Multipurpose Hall in Kasese town the last family left last week.
However, Edirona Ithungu, who is staying at Kasangali SDA primary School together with her husband and 10 children, told Messiah Radio that amidst all the challenges within the camp, staying with a relative is more traumatizing.
Ithungu, who says lost all her property including food crops and livestock that were a big source of revenue, appeals to government to resettle her and the entire family.
Mustafa Kikusa, the Principal Assistant Secretary in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer says the district has compiled a list of persons that need serious humanitarian support. According to him, the list has since been submitted to the Office of the Prime Minister.
Gard Benda, the Country Director for World Voice Uganda while giving a key note address on response to emergencies and disaster asked the district to come up with a plan of establishing a fully flagged camp where the support can always go when disasters strike.
While presenting a response model of the local actors, Johncation Muhindo, a team leader at Creations Forum Afrika (CAF) advocated for more funds towards addressing climate change adaptation measures, arguing that if something is not done, the communities would continue suffering the brunt of the devastating effects of climate change.
But Muhindo believes that investing in disaster prevention and risk reduction is cheaper than responding to disaster.
