UNICEF Uganda Floods Response (Update #1)
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Districts in eastern Uganda have been faced with torrential rains over the last few days. The above normal down pours have had significant adverse impact, including loss of live, livestock, lack of access to safe and consumable water and damage to homesteads and sections of road networks. Mbale, Kapchorwa, Sironko, Bukedea and Bulambuli are the most affected districts, with 23 deaths and 4,057 HH affected.
Over 519 households have been affected in Mbale district alone and with many displaced internally from all the affected districts. 23 people have been confirmed dead in Mbale alone and active search and rescue continues. The rains have continued and gardens have been destroyed, water sources are contaminated, road infrastructure damaged among others. If the rains continue, there is a high risk of these districts becoming food insecure and exacerbating the already difficult situation after a long dry spell in the past months. This will cause risks of increase in malnutrition cases, malaria cases and possibility of cholera reports due to limited safe water access. High-priority lifesaving needs in the affected districts include food assistance, water supply, sanitation, hygiene promotion, health, shelter, non-food items (NFIs), child protection and nutrition services.
OPM and the URCS estimate that close to 30,000 people have been affected across the four districts, (60% children). Around 1.5 million people are at risk of flooding and its impacts in the area. The forecast is that the rains will continue for the period of August with landslides expected in 4 districts in the highlands. Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) is yet to share weather outlook for the coming three months. OPM, URCS and various humanitarian actor are conducting assessments in several affected districts through information received from DDCMs and NGOs. UNICEF is deploying a rapid assessment team from Moroto and Kampala to support the District Local Government (DLG) and the URCS in several of the affected districts to be able to come up with immediate needs.