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The European Commission has provided EUR 150,000 (UGX 566 million) in humanitarian funding to assist the families most affected by the recent extensive rains, resulting in flooding and landslides in multiple districts in eastern Uganda near Mount Elgon.

The European Commission has provided EUR 150,000 (UGX 566 million) in humanitarian funding to assist the families most affected by the recent extensive rains, resulting in flooding and landslides in multiple districts in eastern Uganda near Mount Elgon. The heavy rainfall has led to the loss of life, hospitalisations and the destruction of homes and infrastructure. Over 20.000 people have been affected, 24 people killed and hundreds of homes damaged or destroyed. Road infrastructure, health centres, schools and water facilities have also been affected by the flooding, posing a great risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

The EU funds will support the Ugandan Red Cross Society (URCS) in delivering much-needed relief assistance in the aftermath of the floods and landslides, especially to displaced families whose houses were extensively damaged by the heavy rains. Assistance will include the provision of emergency essential household items, including blankets, mosquito nets, solar lamps, jerry cans, soap and kitchen sets, as well as tarpaulins for temporary shelter.

The URCS will further provide multi-purpose cash and voucher assistance to meet the food, livelihoods, and shelter as well as basic needs of the 500 most vulnerable households in the Elgon sub-region. The approach is based on the needs and response assessment that informed the cash and voucher support feasibility among the affected communities.

Many of the affected have also taken shelter in government schools and community halls. With overcrowding and limited sanitation facilities, the risk of a disease outbreak is high. This funding will support the provision of water treatment tablets to prevent water-borne diseases. The URCS will reinforce health centres with mobile health teams to reach the most vulnerable people. The Red Cross society will also conduct health promotion exercises, give psychosocial support as well as provide menstrual hygiene kits for women and girls of reproductive age.

Running for four months, this operation will assist over 9,000 people in the 3 most affected districts including Mbale, Bulambuli and Bukedea districts.

The funding is part of the EU's overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Background

About EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid

The European Union and its Member States are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises. The European Commission ensures rapid and effective delivery of EU relief assistance through its two main instruments: civil protection and humanitarian aid.

Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian aid Operations department (ECHO), the European Commission helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the department provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs. For more information, please visit the European Commission's website.

About the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund

The European Commission has signed a EUR 3 million humanitarian delegation agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated to small-scale disasters those that do not give rise to a formal international appeal.

The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) was established in 1985 and is supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF. For small-scale disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then be replenished by the donors. The delegation agreement between the IFRC and ECHO enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (that fit in with its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of 3 million.

For further information, please contact: Mathias.Eick@echofield.eu or +254 722 791 604

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European Union brings relief to the victims of flooding and landslides in Uganda - Uganda - ReliefWeb