Over 300,000 people affected by recent landslides in Mt Elgon have received relief items from the Ismaili and Indian communities living in Uganda.
The aid, in form of food, shelter and medicine will be distributed to the victims who are currently residing in Internally Displaced Person’s camps, where fears of disease outbreak especially cholera is high.
Volunteers from both the Ismaili (who belong to the Shia branch of Islam) and Indian community are creating awareness to minimise the spread of the disease.
Over a fortnight ago, heavy rains that lasted about a week caused landslides in the mountainous eastern region of Bududa, about 275Km from Kampala, killing over 90 people.
More than 250 others remain unaccounted for.
Most of the missing are school children who were attending class when the three villages of Nametsi, Namakansa and Kuwembo were buried.
Officials said the government was seeking land to permanently resettle the over 700 affected families as the region is highly prone to landslides.
Meanwhile, the government has ordered villagers in neighbouring districts to move to a central location and await resettlement.
But some have defied the order, preferring to mourn their relatives and await for more bodies to be recovered so they can accord them a decent burial.
Rescue teams comprised of local residents, the Red Cross, a specialised regiment of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and the police continue to dig through the mud with spades, hoes and bare hands.
Bududa residents want the government to shift all schools in order to improve on environmental protection and control the population, which is believed to have led to land degradation.
They also want the government to improve infrastructure in the area, including roads and electricity.
Source: The East African
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