Wiyasuruku Hamdurukhamane, a resident of Lorikwor West village in Elegu town council, says people in the area are now defecating in the open or polythene and dump the waste in the stagnant wa
Local leaders
and residents of Elegu Town Council in Amuru District are living in fear of the
likely outbreak of disease due to stagnant water resulting from flooding.
Hundreds
of pit latrines were submerged and water sources contaminated due to persistent
flooding threatening lives of over 17,000 people at the Uganda – South Sudan
boarder.
Stagnant water has persisted for the last three months, producing a foul odour
and has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes that cause malaria and other
germs. Health officials are worried about the likely outbreak of communicable and
water-borne diseases.
Wiyasuruku Hamdurukhamane, a resident of Lorikwor West village in Elegu town
council, says people in the area are now defecating in the open or polythene
and dump the waste in the stagnant water.
//Cue in: "Na sasa...
Cue out...kwetu hapa."//
Ann Zain Mutonyi, the Lorikwor area LC 1 Vice Chairperson explains that already
cases of malaria and typhoid are being reported among residents. The problem is
being compounded by lack of a health center. The nearest facility - Biabia
Health Centre III is 12km, away.
//Cue in: "Elegu is very...
Cue out...for treatment."//
Ivan Kakaire, an official with Ugandan Revenue Authority attached to the
customs department explains that they are only living at God’s mercy after all the
toilets and latrines were submerged by the floodwater.
//Cue in: "The floods...
Cue out...lasting solution."//
Robert Onekalit, the Medical Team leader in Elegu explains that the health team
backed by volunteers from the Uganda Red Cross Society- URCS has been
conducting risk communication to sensitize the masses to observe high levels of
hygiene to safeguard themselves against health risks associated with the floods.
//Cue in: "We have been...
Cue out...other diseases."//
Unprecedented flash floods have hit human settlement for 13 consecutive times
since June as result of torrential rains that forced Unyama River; a tributary
of Aswa River that joins River Nile in South Sudan burst its banks.
Already,
over 600 households have been displaced and are living on the roadsides waiting
for the floodwater levels to recede.
Last week, Government delivered 17.5
tonnes of food relief to support the flood-affected families but many have
missed on it.
Ochola's journalism career begun from Radio King 90.2 FM in Gulu around 2009, and Radio Rupiny 95.7 Fm under Vision Group in 2012. He also reported for Mighty Fire 91.5 Fm, Kitgum in 2015 before joining Wizarts Foundation in 2017.
He has been reporting for Uganda Radio Network (URN) since 2017 before being posted as Bureau Chief Kitgum, and latr Gulu between 2018 - 2021. Currently, he reports from Parliament.
