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Famine looms as heavy rain devastates farms
Residents of Nebbi Town pick up what could have remained of their crops, after heavy rain washed away several hectares of crops in the town and other neighbouring districts. About 600 residents are said to have been displaced and left homeless due to the rain, which washed away their houses. Photo by Patrick Okaba
What you need to know:
Return of the floods. Bridges have been washed away, cutting off transportation to places of refuge, while the farmers are also bitter with NEMA for letting about 50 elephants invade their farms.
More than 600 people have so far been displaced after their houses were washed away by floods caused by the recent torrential rain in West Nile.
The rain, feared to be El-nino, has also washed away bridges and destroyed several hectares of crops, leaving residents in fear of looming famine.
In Dzaipi Sub-county in Adjumani District, families are most likely to face severe famine in the next coming months as heavy rain coupled with hailstorms destroyed several acres of gardens in the area.
The three most affected villages include Mokolo-yoro, Mbili and Pagirinya, where hundreds of acres of food crops such as simsim, cassava, sweet potatoes, maize and pumpkins have been destroyed and submerged by flowing water.
The LC3 chairperson, Mr Clay Derimu, said apart from the misery caused by hailstorm, the farmers were also frustrated by about 50 elephants from Nimule National Park in South Sudan, which invaded the gardens and shattered the remaining crops.
Mr Derimu blamed the Uganda Wildlife Authority for regarding the life of animals more than that of human beings.
In Nebbi, about six bridges were washed away, cutting off transport to markets and churches, where some displaced people could have run for refuge.
He urged the district authority to come to the aid of the farmers because some of them have been supported under the National Agriculture Advisory Services programme, which is aimed at eradicating poverty at household level.
The hailstorm has destroyed 35 acres of food crops belonging to 25 farmers in the two villages of Mokolo-yoro and Mbili while the stray elephants have destroyed 16 acres of food crops in Pagirinya village.
In Wadelai Sub-county in Nebbi District, about 200 families are displaced, while In Moyo, staff houses for the prison wardens were destroyed with about 20 hectares of crops destroyed.
Similar rains have been reported in Eastern Uganda, with more than 12,000 residents facing relocation from the Bududa section of Mt. Elgon due to mudslide threats.
Reported by Martin Okudi, Patrick Okaba and Scovin Iceta
