800 families rendered homeless by floods in Uganda

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - Persistent rains that started on Friday have displaced 800 families so far in eastern Uganda, according to authorities on Wednesday.

The police in Kween district said that Ngenge sub-county and Sundet sub-county in Kween district have been greatly affected by the floods that left over 2,000 people from 800 families homeless.

The floods also destroyed 1,000 acres of planted maize, sorghum, and beans and killed a lot of livestock.

"Apart from destroying homes, the floods have killed an unspecified number of chickens and goats and I don’t know what will happen since the rains are still continuing," local council secretary for Ngenge sub-county, Joel Cherop, said in an interview.

Bena Chemutai, one of the village's health team members in Ngenge sub-county told Anadolu Agency that the situation is "terrible" and the affected people are now staying in classrooms and verandahs of schools.

"We have fears that many children are likely to fall sick from malaria since they are sleeping in the open without mosquito nets," said Chemutai.

Albina Awor, the chief administrative officer in Kween, has appealed for support from the office of the prime minister.