At least 2,000 people from about 500 households in Nasinyonoit, Kangole in Napak district are homeless following the floods that hit their area. The families are now sleeping in the cold, after their houses, food and other household properties were washed away by flash floods on Wednesday.
The families are now spending nights in the cold; on the walkways along the Napak – Moroto Highway. Women, Children, the elderly and expectant mothers, can be seen wandering on the streets, with nowhere to go as their semi-permanent houses remain waterlogged two days after flash floods hit at least six villages in Murullinga Parish.
Meanwhile dozens of housing units have collapsed while others are on the verge of collapsing. The displaced persons are currently living along the streets, open places and around the Kangole Catholic Church as they await government intervention. Some of the affected families are struggling to open channels for the water to flow out of their homes.
Ruth Iningo Longole, the Parish Chief says all households are equally affected by hunger, lack of shelter, poor sanitation with high chances of disease outbreak following the disaster.
However, local government says it has no capacity to help and has asked several partners to adjust their planning and provide immediate emergency support to the community.
The most affected villages include Nasinyonoit, Kogete, Kokweta, Namukure, Nachuka and Naro- Apalotiyaro villages all in Mmorulinga Parish, the presidential residence in Karamoja.
Kangole is part of the flat and low-lying areas of Napak district with little natural vegetation in the plains of Karamoja, some 23 kilometres to Moroto town. The area hosts several villages including President Yoweri Museveni’s upcountry home in Karamoja. According to residents and area leaders, the area has never been hit by floods in history until Wednesday when the Manimani River burst its banks.
On Thursday, the Catholic Relief Services, CRS was on the ground in collaboration with the local government of Kangole carrying out an assessment on the extent of the damage and the most needed relief services. The leader for CRS Robert Obore said they were helping the government to ascertain the level of damage because the local leadership did not have capacity to do the work immediately.
Earlier, the Chief Administrative Officer said he was waiting for data from the affected Sub County to be forwarded to the Office of the Prime Minister since the district lacks the capacity to handle disasters and emergency issues of this magnitude.
