IN THE PHOTO: A woman with baby on the back walks through flood waters in a camp in Teso region, 2007.

--------------

From September to December 2007, the humanitarian community in Uganda responded to the critical needs caused by extensive flooding and water-logging throughout eastern and northern Uganda due to unusually heavy rainfalls from July to October 2007.

Eight clusters operated from the regional coordination hub in Soroti – the seven existing clusters established by the Inter Agency Standing Committee throughout northern Uganda, as well as a Logistics Cluster established specifically in response to the Uganda Floods.

On 21 September, the humanitarian community and Government of Uganda launched a US$ 41 million Flash Appeal for the Floods Response. Some US$ 6 million in Immediate funding for the Appeal was made available from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).  Over the next three months, the clusters delivered life-saving emergency assistance to those affected by the flooding, achieving success in preventing loss of life, malnutrition and disease. As of December 2007, the emergency response has been replaced by longer-term recovery and disaster preparedness programming across the flood-affected area.

Unusually heavy rainfall since July 2007 led to severe flooding and water-logging across many parts of eastern and northern Uganda, including the districts of Amuria, Bukedea, Kaberamaido, Katakwi, Kumi, and Soroti in the Teso sub-region; Bududa, Manafwa, Mbale and Sironko in the Bugisu sub-region, Bukwo and Kapchorwa in the Sebei sub-region; Abim, Kotido, Moroto and Nakapiripirit in the Karamoja sub-region; Lira district in Lango sub-region; and Pader and Kitgum districts in the Acholi sub-region.

The flooding affected an already highly vulnerable area of Uganda in which the majority of households are dependent on subsistence agriculture and basic services are already severely overstretched. The most critical impact was in the Teso and Bugisu sub-regions, due in part to the severity of the flooding as well as the relative lack of existing capacity amongst government actors and humanitarian organizations to respond to needs. For this reason, the emergency response focused primarily on aid delivery and assistance activities in the districts of Teso and Bugisu subregions.

A caseload of approximately 50,000 households (300,000 people) was estimated to have been affected by the flooding and to require immediate assistance to varying extents. Most were rendered food insecure by the loss of first season harvests (due in July/August) and delayed/small second season plantings. Whereas a two month “hunger gap” is the norm, the hunger gap was extended by the flooding up to 10 months. The next successful harvest was not expected until July 2008. Moreover, it will take at least two harvests for affected households fully to recover their losses.

In addition to damaged homes – the traditional mud brick architecture of the region rendered them particularly susceptible to the wet conditions prevalent in a flood – water and sanitation facilities were severely impacted by the flooding. Many flooded latrines collapsed, leaving the population afraid to use those remaining. A large percentage of water sources were also contaminated. In addition to the immediate threat posed by this situation, the damage to water and sanitation facilities increased the likelihood for waterborne disease outbreaks as flood waters receded. The incidence of malaria, diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory infections increased in the first weeks of the flooding, reportedly by as much as 30 per cent. However, the success of the overall response was epitomized by the prevention of any outbreak of epidemic waterborne disease, such as cholera, and the quick and effective response to an outbreak of measles in the Bugisu subregion.

The emergency response was complicated by the fact that access to many areas was nearly impossible due to roads and bridges being damaged and washed away by the flood waters. Indeed, the most affected communities were entirely cut off by land, leaving those wishing to assist them dependent on air and boat transportation for both assessments and aid deliveries. For this reason, the Logistics cluster, within which WFP coordinated water- and air-based transportation on behalf of the humanitarian community, was established.

From the outset, the cluster leadership jointly identified priorities for the emergency response to the floods. During the initial emergency period, these priorities were:

1. Stabilising the initial food security situation (Food Security cluster)

2. Preventing disease outbreaks and ensuring capacity to respond to health emergencies (WASH and Health clusters)

3. Re-opening schools and ensuring access to primary education (Education cluster)

4. Responding to the urgent needs of the most vulnerable (Camp Coordination/Camp Management cluster, Non Food Items working group)

5. Ensuring physical access to the most vulnerable, and continuing inter-cluster assessments (Logistics cluster); and

6. Understanding the early recovery needs of the affected population and prioritising recovery interventions (Early Recovery cluster).

Also supporting the overall response was the Uganda Red Cross Society, with the assistance of an emergency team from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The Red Cross appealed for US$ 2.4 million for its emergency response in areas including water and sanitation, non-food items and shelter on 18 September.