OCHA Situation Report No. 17
Uganda: Floods
10 December 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

The information contained in this report has been gathered by the Office 
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) from sources 
including the Government of Uganda, UN agencies, Non-Governmental 
Organizations and the Red Cross movement.

HIGHLIGHTS

- ACCELERATED ROUTINE IMMUNISATION IN BUKEDEA AND KATAKWI EXTENDED FOR 
THREE ADDITIONAL DAYS

- PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF ASSESSMENT IN KATAKWI DISTRICT INDICATE MAJOR 
REMAINING NEEDS, ESPECIALLY FOR IDPS

Situation Overview

1. Road access has been restored in the region as water levels have 
continued to recede with the onset of the dry season. In Katakwi, the 
water level in Omasia - Oriau swamp on the Toroma - Magoro road has 
receded and the road is in use by light vehicles. The road linking 
Katakwi to Amuria district through Usuk/ Acowa sub-counties is now 
accessible as the water level in Kirik river/ Ajeliek swamp has gone 
down. The water at Awoja Bridge in Soroti has also receded, although the 
bridge has not been officially re-opened.

2. Some repair works have started, although the need remains urgent for 
most affected roads. Major repair and rehabilitation of the 
Katakwi/Soroti highway is ongoing by the government. The rehabilitation 
of Magoro Corner is also ongoing.

3. According to the preliminary partial results of the eight day (26 
November to 3 December) accelerated routine immunisation in Bukedea and 
Kumi districts, 7,968 of the targeted 23,000 children have so far been 
immunized in Bukedea and 15,267 of the targeted 55,380 children in Kumi. 
All targeted children are aged between six and 59 months. The exercise 
has been extended for a further three days until 6 December. The total 
number of measles cases reported to date is 36, with one death. The last 
case was reported on 28 November.

4. An inter-agency assessment was requested by Katakwi District and 
carried out with support from the humanitarian community on 28 November. 
Preliminary findings indicate major remaining needs in a number of 
sectors including health, water and sanitation, and improved access to 
services. The report will be finalised and shared shortly.

Humanitarian Response

Since the issuance of the last Situation Report, the following updates 
have been received: Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster lead: 
UNHCR Cluster members: ASB

5. A number of tents were provided to the police and Anti Stock Theft 
Units (ASTUs) to deploy further detachments to strategic locations to 
strengthen the protection of IDP camps and some villages of return.

6. Camp profiling is ongoing and it is expected to be completed by the 
end of December 2007. The exercise includes population profiling and 
in-depth needs assessment and analysis.

Early Recovery

Cluster Lead: UNDP

Cluster members: District Local Governments of Amuria and Katakwi, 
Office of the Prime Minister [OPM], CCF, Soroti Catholic Diocese 
Integrated Development Organisation (SOCADIDO), Premiere Urgence and 
URCS

7. The cluster is currently working with these three major concerns:

- Governance: supporting the formation of the Sub County Disaster 
Management Committees (SCDMC) in all sub-counties and a capacity 
building programme to ensure that SCDMCs will be equipped with the 
necessary knowledge and skills required to support communities to 
undertake early recovery activities.

- Support to returning IDPs and flood affected communities: working with 
key partners, particularly district governments, in order to provide 
appropriate support to IDPs who have voluntarily returned or plan to 
return to their areas of origin and addressing the early recovery needs 
of the communities affected by the floods.

- Quick Impact Initiatives: preparing the systems and procedures for the 
eventual roll out of the Quick Impact Initiatives. Efforts are being 
undertaken to ensure that the interventions will complement existing 
initiatives by partners; strengthen existing coping mechanisms of the 
communities; and maximize existing resources in the area.

Food Security

Cluster Lead: FAO and WFP

Cluster members: SOCADIDO, LWF, World Vision, TEMEDO, TEDDO, URCS, War 
on Want, Local Governments, Vision TERUDO, Pilgrim, PAG church, Uganda 
Scouts, BEKOA, Premiere Urgence, Africare

8. Approximately 23,000 beneficiaries received seeds and tools in Teso 
region this season. This is about 50 per cent of the target population 
(50,000). Most of the seeds distributed consisted of vegetable seeds 
that can be planted during the current season.

9. Two key challenges for the cluster have been low quantity of inputs 
and delayed/late distributions. As a result, the distributions (number 
of persons covered) per location were quite small due to the limited 
quantity of inputs, particularly the cassava and sweet potatoes that are 
the main food security crops in the region. In addition, the planting 
materials arrived late and have not been planted by some communities.

10. The other challenge identified by the cluster is the need to 
identify and implement other nonagricultural based livelihood activities 
to support the communities to bridge the food gap which is expected 
between now (onset of the dry season) and July next year when the 
harvests of the first season crops are expected.

11. There have been unverified reports of bitter sweet potatoes in 
Katakwi, similar to reports in Soroti in October.

12. Livestock vaccination activities undertaken by the local government 
of Katakwi district are ongoing.

13. Another new partner, Africare, has joined the cluster.

Health, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS

Cluster Lead: World Health Organization (WHO) Implementing members: 
UNICEF, Red Cross Society, Malteser, Pilgrim, MOH, Youth with Mission, 
Uganda Assemblies of God, Germany Emergency Doctors, Soroti Diocese, 
Oxfam, PSI, Malaria Consortium, THW, UNFPA

14. An intesified eight day-long accelerated routine immunization 
exercise began on 26 November in Kumi and Bukedea to control the measles 
outbreak. Preliminary partial results released on 3 December from a few 
health facilities indicate that Bukedea has immunized 7,968 of the 
targeted 23,000 children and Kumi has immunized 15,267 of the targeted 
55,380 children. All are aged between six and 59 months.

15. Measles case detection has been strengthened. The cumulative number 
of cases since the outbreak is now 36, with one death. Thus, the Case 
Fatality Rate (CFR) is 2.7 per cent. The last reported case occurred on 
28 November.

16. All suspected measles cases reported in Sironko, Manafwa and Bukwa 
have been investigated and the laboratory results found to be negative.

17. A total of 824 Village Health Teams (VHT) members were trained, 
mainly on disease surveillance, across all sub-counties of Amuria 
District.

18. Three mobile clinic teams attended to 2,418 patients in areas far 
away from functional health facilities in Katakwi and Amuria.

19. Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs) were distributed to 
communities in Sironko and Kapchorwa districts.

20. Ongoing activities in the cluster since the last reports are water 
purification and provision of chlorine tablets for household water 
treatment in Amuria, Katakwi, Kumi and Bukedea and health education, 
with emphasis on control of malaria, diarrhoeal diseases and measles, in 
the districts of Sironko, Kapchorwa, Kumi and Bukedea. Film vans, mobile 
clinic teams and VHTs continue to be supported in Katakwi and Amuria 
districts.

Protection

Cluster Lead: UNHCR

No input for this week

Shelter and Non Food Items (NFI)

Cluster Lead: UNICEF

Cluster members: ASB and SOCADIDO

No input for this week.

Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

Cluster lead: UNICEF

Cluster members: URCS, OXFAM, Directorate of Water, Pilgrim, MoH, CESVI, 
Premiere Urgence

21. Well disinfection was done in six locations in Sironko District and 
one location in Kumi District.

22. Safe water kits have been distributed to approximately 1,000 people 
in Bukedea.

23. Two new boreholes were constructed at Aketa Health Centre III and 
Ongongoja camp in Ongongoja Sub-County, Katakwi District.

24. The cluster facilitated the collection of an additional 15 water 
samples from a range of districts throughout Teso, Bugisu, and Sebei 
subregions.

25. Construction of semi-permanent latrines was completed in 5 schools 
in Bukedea and Amuria.

26. Ongoing activities in the cluster since the last report are 
emergency supply of treated water in Oongora (Katakwi) for approximately 
500 families and WASH Assessment in all sub-counties in Katakwi District 
in co-ordination with District Authorities.

Coordination

27. Weekly meetings were held by the Early Recovery, WASH, Food Security 
and Health, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS clusters.

28. Two extraordinary District Disaster Management Committee meetings 
were held in Katakwi on 26 and 27 November to plan for the inter-agency 
assessment carried out 28 November.

29. The present will be the final Situation Report dedicated 
specifically to the Floods Response in the Teso, Bugisu and Sebei 
sub-regions. In future, the Floods Response will be covered within the 
regular monthly reporting on humanitarian action in Uganda.

30. The second Progress Report on the Uganda Floods Flash Appeal is 
expected to be released in the coming week.

For more information, please contact:

Kristen Knutson, Public Information and Donor Liaison Officer, 
OCHA-Uganda: +256 312 244 888, +256 772 759 996 (mobile), 
knutson@un.org; Lydia Mirembe Ssenyonjo, National Information Officer, 
OCHA-Uganda: +256 312 244 890, mirembessenyonjo@un.org; Chris Hyslop, 
Desk Officer, OCHA-New York: +1 917 367 9457, hyslopc@un.org; Stephanie 
Bunker, Public Information Officer, OCHA-New York: +1 917 367 5126, +1 
917 892 1679 (mobile), bunker@un.org; Elisabeth Byrs, Public Information 
Officer, OCHA-Geneva: +41 22 917 2653, byrs@un.org.

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