Emergency flood appeal
On Thursday 4th April, parts of Butaleja District were hit by severe flooding after heavy rainfall caused two nearby rivers to burst their banks and overflow into the area.
Assessment of the impact is ongoing and more rainfall is expected over the next few days.
18th April update:
Our team have been working tirelessly to assess the impact of the flood, identify those worst affected, and source emergency relief items.
Thanks to the amazing response to our appeal, we were able to deliver much-needed food packages to 111 families this week. Each household received 15 kilograms of food supplies including posho (maize flour), rice and beans, bars of soap and re-usable menstrual pads. It's clear to see in the photos below how well received these items were.
This is part of our first phase response to the flooding. Many families lost everything they own, and the parcels we were able to give them will help see them through the next week or so. We will continue to work with the local Disaster Management Committee to deliver more support and plan a way forward for assisting those impacted by the flooding. It’s becoming clear that one of the main impacts of the flooding is devastation to crops. Many people had only recently planted, and what had started to grow was completely washed away. We therefore expect that distributing seeds will be a large focus of the next phase of our response.
We are so grateful for our team of staff and volunteers in Butaleja who have been working in difficult conditions to bring a little bit of hope to families facing despair at the moment, and for the support from friends in the UK that has made this possible. If you would like to donate, there is still time to do so, using the link below.
10th April update:
We have been overwhelmed by the response to our emergency appeal to support families affected by recent flooding in Butaleja. Thank you so much for donating, praying, sharing and asking for updates. Our team have been very busy assessing the needs of the many families whose homes have been damaged or destroyed by the flooding. It’s difficult to travel around the area, but they’re doing their best to ensure we can get support out as quickly as possible.
Thanks to donations received so far, we have been able to buy soap and essential food items which are currently being packaged up ready to distribute. We will be delivering these to 100 families in one of the worst-affected villages that hasn’t yet been reached by other organisations.
The impact of the flooding is becoming ever clearer as our team visit families around the district. Aminah is a mother of five and was woken abruptly in the night when water started coming into their house, where her children were sleeping on the floor. She managed to pick up the children and run to a neighbour’s house where they are still staying now. Aminah’s family have lost most of their belongings as she was not able to rescue them, and the food they had started to grow was destroyed too. Sadly two of her children have become unwell as a result of the floodwater and are currently in hospital. She explained to our team,
“I don’t know what to do and how to survive in the coming days”.
Please consider supporting our appeal so that we can provide Aminah and others with the essential items they so desperately need at this time. Please also pray, as the rain continues, for families facing this incredibly difficult situation, and for our team and the others working hard to support them. We will continue to provide updates on how we’re working with the District Disaster Committee to deliver a coordinated response.
5th April. So far, we know that:
One person has died, six are reported missing and at least 60 are injured.
Over 1,000 households have been impacted (this number is likely to increase).
At least 500 of these have been completely destroyed, and many more severely damaged.
Four health facilities have been flooded.
Many people have been stranded, displaced or cut-off from their homes due to flooded transport routes.
Almost 2,000 acres of crops have been destroyed.
Many water sources are submerged so people cannot access safe water for drinking or washing - most of whom are children.
At least eight schools have been forced to closed.
Families are without food as their produce supplies have been damaged.
Latrines have been buried by mudslides or completely flooded, so the risk of disease outbreak, such as cholera, is high.
We are liaising with the District Disaster Management Committee and are awaiting details from them on a coordinated response. We do know that urgently needed items include: emergency food packages, soap, jerrycans, blankets, tarpaulins, menstrual hygiene kits, mosquito nets and water treatment tablets.
Please will you donate to our emergency appeal so that we can provide families with these much-needed items as quickly as possible?
Your donation will also enable us to deliver longer-term relief and support, once the full extent of the devastation becomes clear over the coming weeks. We will continue to update you with how we are responding to the situation.
Thank you for your generosity as we work hard to support families facing despair at this time.
