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Amuria, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Isaac Odongo, a resident of Aduu village, Amuria parish in Aloi sub-county, was woken up on Monday night by the cries of his children. When he got out of bed, Odongo found water in every corner of his house as the children continued crying outside, forcing him to run out.
To his shock, Odongo found his young children crying atop a mango tree after their house had collapsed in the floods. As his wife salvaged some beddings, neighbors drawn by the alarm came to their rescue, saving the five children. The family of seven is now staying at a neighbor’s home, which is also being flooded.
Susan Akullo, a mother of five experiencing this ordeal for the first time, said she is relying on well-wishers within the community to feed her family. She added that the only 200,000 shillings the family had saved after selling a goat was also lost in the water.
Akullo’s household is among over 700 in Alebtong district affected by floods caused by heavy rains and rising water levels of River Moroto. Last weekend, locals reported roaring streams sweeping through gardens adjacent to the river. The most affected sub-county is Adwir, where the sub-county headquarters, Health Centre III, and Adwir Primary School are fully submerged.
Food and household items were washed away, while crop gardens have been inundated, leaving residents with nowhere to turn. Other affected sub-counties include Aloi and Omoro, where several homes are flooded. In Aloi sub-county, three out of four parishes are greatly affected, with over 85 households washed away, many others partially submerged, and numerous domestic animals killed.
Mangoleta Akao, a resident of Onir village, narrowly survived death on Monday morning when the flash floods struck her and her daughter-in-law in the garden. Her entire home, household items, and crops were swept away. Although the family has taken shelter at the LCI’s home, they have nothing to eat.
This is the second time Akao’s home has been destroyed by running water. In 2023, her household and crop gardens were similarly swept away. She is appealing to well-wishers to help her relocate to higher ground.
Her plea is supported by Martin Odur, the LCI chairperson of Onir village, who is housing displaced families and said lack of food is the major challenge.
Eunice Alwedo, the Community Development Officer (CDO) for Aloi sub-county, said the magnitude of the disaster is overwhelming and that the sub-county is relying on the district for a solution.
On Wednesday, the district Disaster Preparedness Committee visited Adwir sub-county to assess the situation. Franco Olaboro, the Chief Administrative Officer of Alebtong, described the situation as “dire.”
“I have seen disasters before, but this one is different,” he lamented, noting that the disaster committee’s budget cannot handle the current situation. He called upon both the central government and well-wishers to support the district.
He added, “Logistically, we are constrained because we need a substantial amount of money to implement mitigation measures on the ground. The immediate actions we have taken include guiding residents on relocation and advising on boiling water.”
For long, Alebtong district has not experienced severe flooding like this year, although some sub-counties, especially Adwir and Aloi along the shores of River Moroto, are prone to waterlogging during the rainy season.
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