Over 50 households (about 350 people) are camped at Buwangwa Primary School in Mbale, eastern Uganda, after their houses were destroyed by heavy rains on Sunday night.
The rain triggered landslides in Busaano Sub-County in which one adult male identified as Michael Mukhaali (40 -45yrs) is believed to have died. Mukhaali’s house was completely destroyed and covered under the mud.
Two other houses were destroyed in the same area, although the occupants survived.
According to Uganda Red Cross, about 7 villages are affected by the heavy rains and their teams are supporting the assessment process to ascertain the damage and provide emergency support.
The assessment being conducted will inform the bigger response for the affected communities -according to Uganda Red Cross.
URC Spokesperson Irene Kabasiita said mothers and children were mostly affected by the landslides with urgent needs ranging from warm clothes, food, and all basic needs for them to cope with the bad weather amidst displacement.
She however said the agency is working closely with Mbale district disaster management committee and the affected families to put in place initial coping mechanism amidst the the deadly COVID-19 threat.
Apparently, the school serves as shelter for the displaced. The classroom block is being used to enforce social distancing as one of the safety precautions to curb the spread of the corona virus.
Uganda Red Cross continues to sound early warning messages to the communities in disaster prone areas across Uganda to be alert since heavy rains are on.