ReliefWeb

Description of the disaster

Heavy rainfalls experienced in the Eastern parts of Uganda in the months of May and June 2019 caused flooding and landside disasters within the Elgon region, directly affecting 569 households (2,845 individuals) in four districts of Bududa, Sironko, Mbale and Butaleja. The landslides in Bududa district caused six (6) deaths, and injuries to 27 persons who were all treated and recovered. Pease refer to the EPoA for details on impact per affected district.

As anticipated, an outbreak of cholera was later confirmed by the Ministry of Health in Bududa district two weeks after the launch of this DREF operation, which affected the same community affected by the landslides. A total of 72 cholera cases, with 3 deaths were recorded (Case Fatality Rate=4.17%). The operation therefore refocussed its strategy towards provision of safe water, improved sanitation, and hygiene behaviours among the affected and other at-risk communities in Bududa, Sironko, Butaleja and Mbale districts. The Ministry of Health later launched Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) campaign in Bududa where the operation supported with community mobilization that increased uptake of the vaccine among all at-risk individuals. All these efforts led to rapid interruption of the cholera outbreak spread in Bududa that prevented it from affecting other at-risk areas in neighbouring Manafwa, Namisindwa, Butaleja, Sironko, Mbale and Bulambuli districts.

On 20 June 2019, IFRC launched a DREF operation worth CHF 151,041 to support Uganda Red Cross Society respond to humanitarian needs of 2,845 people affected by landslides and floods disasters in Bududa, Mbale, Butaleja, and Sironko district. The emergency operation successfully ran from June to September 2019, although the heavy rainfall situation was still widespread, which caused fresh flooding events in completely new areas around November 2019, just two months after closure of this operation.