4,000 affected as landslides wreak havoc

A woman stands near a house destroyed by landslides in Humutoma Village, Bundibugyo Town Council, on Thursday. PHOTO LONGINO MUHINDO

BUNDIBUGYO- A total of 349 households have been displaced by landslides in Bundibugyo District, humanitarian officials have said.

More than 4,000 people have been affected by the disaster, Ms Diana Tumuhimbise, the Red Cross Society manager in-charge of Bundibugyo branch, revealed on Thursday.

The areas most affected are Bundimulinga and Hikitara Villages in Tokwe Sub-county, Hamutoma, Humya villages in Bundibugyo Town Council and Buhundu Parish in Bukonzo Sub-county.

Ms Tumuhimbise said assessments have revealed that the relief support needed for the affected communities include shelter, wash facilities and food, among others.

“We are engaging the district leadership to find ways of getting relief support for these affected people,” she said.
More than 10 houses have been swept away by a landslide that struck Humutoma Village, in Bamadu Parish, Bundibugyo Town early this week.
According to authorities, animals and plantations of cocoa, banana, vanilla, coffee and sweet potatoes have not been spared.

The chairperson of Bumadu Parish, Mr Bangutendye Yonasani said eight graveyards were also submerged and swept away by the floods.
Mr Bangutendye said some people have fled their houses to safer areas fearing reoccurrence of the landslides after cracks appearing in theirs area.

The Bundibugyo District chairperson, Mr Ronald Mutegeki, said the district is working on an assessment report that will be submitted to the central government to seek relief support for the affected families.

“We are appealing to government especially the Office of Prime Minster, Ministry of Works and other government agencies and our development partners to come to our rescue. The affected areas are very many and we don’t know when these landslides will end,” Mr Mutegeki said.

He revealed that six bridges have been washed away by floods, paralysing the transport network and business activities in the district.
Mr Mutegeki blamed the disaster on poor farming methods and environmental degradation.

He advised those in areas prone to landslides to relocate to safer areas, since the district lacks the required resources to conduct the relocation.

“We ask the government to allocate some substantial resources to the district to enable us allocate some sizable pieces of land where these people can be able to temporarily allocate and begin a new life,” Mr Mutegeki said.