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E-mail Xinhua, May 11, 2013
Over 5,200 flood victims in the western Ugandan district of Kasese have relocated to camps as weather experts warn of more rains.
Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), a local humanitarian organization on Friday said that the 5,219 flood survivors are part of the 25,000 people who were affected by the May 1 floods that killed nine people, destroyed homes, crops, washed away bridges and roads. "These people are affected differently. Some people's houses were completely destroyed while others their houses are shaky," Richard Nsubuga, URCS Regional Programs Manager for western Uganda told Xinhua in an interview in Kasese.
He said the survivors have been temporarily relocated to primary schools as government looks for a safer place to settle them.
He said as the meteorological department warns of more rains, the remaining communities along Mountain Rwenzori are still at risk. "We do not know when the rains are going to stop. This means given the fragile situation, the communities are still at a higher risk. There will be need for long intervention," he said.
He said the survivors are in urgent need of non food items like mosquito nets, blankets and the provision of proper sanitation. "There is need for provision of non food items to give to children, pregnant mothers and people living with HIV because their immunity is low," he said. "We are in the initial phases. Our mission is to save lives. Our focus is to see that those people who are affected are safe," he added.
URCS in a statement early this week appealed for 1.8 billion shillings (720,000 U.S. dollars) to assist the flood victims.
The funds will cater for provision of shelter like tarpaulins and construction kits, essential household items including cups, plates, jerry cans, mosquito nets, laundry soap, blankets, saucepans, and buckets, and reviving livelihoods through provision of seeds and tool kits. Endi
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