Most Recent Disaster Declaration:
Floods, 09-27-2011
Heavy rainfall beginning in late August 2011 caused flooding in eastern Uganda, particularly affecting Bulambuli, Sironko, Kween, Mbale, Butaleja, and Kapchorwa districts. On August 28, 2011, associated landslides occurred in Bulambuli District, resulting in significant damage to property, crops, livestock, and transportation infrastructure. In total, the flooding and associated landslides resulted in at least 27 deaths, affected approximately 80,000 people—including more than 47,000 individuals who were displaced to neighboring villages—and destroyed four schools and eight health centers, according to the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), the Government of Uganda (GoU), and local media. According to the GoU and URCS, heavy rainfall was expected to further impact crops following the flooding, exacerbating pre-existing food insecurity in the area.
On September 27, Ambassador Jerry P. Lanier declared a disaster due to the effects of the floods. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $50,000 through USAID/Uganda to URCS for the procurement and delivery of emergency relief supplies—including shelter materials and water purification tablets—to flood-affected people.
Additional Disaster Declarations:
Landslide and Floods, 03-04-2010
Continuous heavy rains from late February to early March resulted in landslides and floods in eastern Uganda. On March 1, a landslide buried three villages in Bududa District, near the Kenya–Uganda border, killing at least 80 people and leaving more than 300 people missing, according to the Government of Uganda (GoU) Office of the Prime Minister. In addition, the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) reported that flooding resulted in at least 100 deaths and affected more than 10,000 people in Bududa, Butaleja Katakwi, Amuria, Pallisa, Mbale, Moroto, Nakapiripirit, Sironko, Manafwa, Bukwo, and Budaka districts as of March 4. The GoU and URCS deployed assessment teams to affected areas and the GoU dispatched medical and search and rescue teams to the landslide site. URCS responded to the needs of affected populations through the distribution of emergency relief supplies, including blankets, tents, water containers, and kitchen sets.
On March 4, U.S. Ambassador Jerry P. Lanier declared a disaster due to the effects of the landslide and floods. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $50,000 through USAID/Uganda to URCS for the provision of emergency relief supplies to affected populations.
Food Security Crisis, 11-04-2008
Since 2003, frequent drought, civil insecurity, and animal disease outbreaks resulted in significantly deteriorated food security in Karamoja Region in western Uganda. In August, the USAID-supported Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) estimated 750,000 people in the region as highly food insecure. According to the U.N. World Food Program (WFP), approximately 50 percent of the region’s population depended on food aid and expected to require assistance through 2009. An outbreak of peste des petits ruminants resulted in the death of nearly 25 percent of the small ruminant population between early 2007 and August 2008, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In addition, FEWS NET reported cattle thefts and road ambushes increased civil insecurity of vulnerable populations.
On November 3, U.S. Ambassador Steven A. Browning declared a disaster due to the effects of food insecurity. USAID/OFDA issued an annual program statement (APS) requesting proposals to mitigate the impact of the drought and the global food price crisis in Karamoja.
For information on additional USAID disaster responses in Uganda, please see OFDA Annual Reports.
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