UGANDA - OCTOBER 2007
Widespread floods hit the east and north of Uganda in 2007 following unseasonal heavy rain.
Because much of the country here is flat - containing an extensive network of rivers - when water levels rose by over 1.5 metres huge areas were swamped.
The region is already home to many camps housing both refugees from neighbouring countries and Ugandas who have been displaced following attacks by rebel groups and border tribes.
Conditions in these camps are already poor; water availability and sanitation is limited. In the Katakwi area alone, the floodsaffected every one of the district’s camps – with a total population of around 60,000.
Many of the crops in the area (except for some cassava plants) rotted because of the floods, leaving food supplies very short. Another problem is that as the water subsided the ground wasbaked hard by the sun making it almost impossible for people to plant crops without suitable tools (hoes etc).
Help from ShelterBox
Following a request from the Rotary Club of Muyenga, a consignment of 100 ShelterBoxes was sent to Uganda.
These contained woodburning stoves, cooking pots, water containers and purification tablets, blankets, ground mats and tools (hoes and axes).
An additional 200 treated mosquito nets were also sent as the flood waters provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes and increase the risk of disease.
A two-person ShelterBox Response Team worked with the Rotary Club and the Uganda Red Cross to distribute the aid.
The team delivered 99 boxes to residents of the Abule IDP camp, located 15km from Katakwi town.
The final shelterbox was delivered to the Batwa Tribe – a pygmy tribe of 100 persons located in South West Uganda. This tribe has been displaced due to deforestation and the box is to be used to assist the entire community.
Previous work in Uganda
ShelterBox has now deployed aid to Uganda on four occasions: in 2003 (50 boxes), 2004 (200 boxes), 2005 (860 boxes) and 2007 (200 boxes).
On the first three occasions aid was sent to assist families displaced by fighting in neighbouring countries (e.g. Sudan) and atrocities committed by rebel groups such as The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the north.
The aid sent to Uganda in 2003 and 2004 was used to provide shelter for displaced families living in camps around Lira town. This area had become a major centre for people fleeing LRA atrocities in northern Uganda – in 2004 Lira’s camps were estimated to house 300,000.
This aid was delivered in partnership with the African-based charity All Nations Christian Aid (2003) and the Rotary Club of Kampala (2004).
In 2005, ShelterBox sent two consignments of 430 boxes each. These were distributed by UNHCR to various camps set up to assist displaced people and refugees in the north and west of Uganda.
ShelterBox has now provided aid for around 12,000 people in Uganda.
