By: CAO-Kasese

Rom: E-Society

On 18^th August 2014, after a heavy rains, two rivers of Nyamwamba and Mubuku flooded affecting the population, property and infrastructure. So far, one person has drowned, two bridges washed away and over 464 households displaced; especially in Karusandara sub county in Kasese district in the parishes of Karusandara, Kibuga and Kanamba, and Mubuku II. The affected areas in Maliba Sub-County include Izinga, Katindo and Kakindo where several acres under crop were destroyed.

River Nyamwamba

The affected areas are 8KMs away from Kasese town, which had been affected by the floods of May 1^st 2013 and on 8^th May 2014. Due heavy rain, floods occurred, caused by the huge amount of water that flowed from the mountain along the narrow course of the river. With the increase in the water levels, a temporary foot bridge that was connecting Bulembia division with Kilembe Sub County has been washed away. One person also drowned in the river and the dead body was recovered later.

There is need to continue monitoring the situation since this is the river that often caused the greatest havoc especially to the major infrastructure along the Kilembe mines; particularly Kilembe mines Hospital and Kasese municipality

River Mubuku

River Mubuku which hails from Rwenzori Mountain has so far affected three parishes in the sub county of karusandara. This is 30kms away from Kasese town. Over 464 household have been displaced in over thirteen villages.

The rapid assessment show the following estimated numbers for the households which have been affected.

S/N	Parish	NO. OF VILLAGES	NO. OF HHs DISPLACED	Estimated pop.
01	karusandara	2	41	246
03	kibuga	5	135	810
02	kanamba	6	288	1728
Total		13	464	2784

Effects of the floods

Ø 0ne person drowned in river Nyamwamba

Ø 464 homes have lost their household property and are displaced but staying with host families – friends and relatives.

Ø The improvised Kyanzuki foot bridge has been swept away.

Ø The Kisanyarazi – Karusandara road is impassable (non motorable), only route to Karusandara is through Hima.

Interventions made

Ø The dead body has been recovered and arrangements for burial in progress.

Ø The displaced families were trying to look for accommodation from relatives and friends.

Ø The District disaster committee together with Uganda Red Cross Society Kasese branch has embarked on a rapid assessment exercise in Karusandara’ while monitoring the situation in other places of the district.

Ø The police are patrolling the communities threatened by floods ready to rescue those who may be stranded.
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By: CAO-Kasese

From E-Society

Since Kasese District was again hit by yet another disastrous flood exactly one year and a week after the recent floods of 1st May 2013 This flood occurred at 10.00am of 8th May 2014 and had the same characteristics of bursting the river banks, at exactly the same weak points as in the 1st May 2013 flood. The first river to burst its banks was river Nyamwamba flooding into Bulembya Primary School, Kilembe Mines offices, Kyanjuki-Katiri newly constructed tarmac road, Kanyaruboga area and finally Kilembe Mines Hospital was equally affected right from the hind face in the area of the already destroyed nurses’ quarters. The floods were so intense that patients and medical workers had to run for their dear lives. However water didn’t make considerable damage to Hospital facilities.

The Nyamwamba floods were followed by spontaneous flush flood floods caused by rivers Nyamugasani in Kyarumba, Kyondo and Kisinga. As if that was not enough, other rivers including river Mubuku in Maliba, Bugoye and Karusandara Sub-counties have been reported to have also burst their banks

Extent of damage to property and life

· Lost one old woman aged 77 years – Lucia Bwongerize of Ibanda–Bugoye S/county.

· Two babies of 2 and 4 days old respectively.

· A total of 603 households have had their domestic property destroyed and displaced but living with host families.

Details are shown in the table below

S/n.	Sub County	Village	No. of H/Hs Displaced
1.	Bulembia Division	Kanyaruboga	206
		Katiri	234
		Road Barrier	03
		Bulembia	41
2.	Central Division	Saluti B	90
3.	Nyamwamba Division	Nyakasanga west	19
4.	Karusamdara	Kanamba	07
	Kyarumba	Kyarumba	03
	Total		603

Source: Rapid assessment team led by URC society-Kasese as at 9^th May 2014

· Masule and Kyanzuki makeshift timber foot bridges washed away

· Two classroom blocks of Bulembia primary school destroyed and furniture and all text books washed away with the collapsed block. Other classroom blocks are on the verge of collapsing with continued down pour.

· 3 office blocks for Kilembe Mines/TIBET Hima offices destroyed with furniture and classified official documents/files.

· Unspecified number of electric poles with transmission wires washed away causing power disruption.

· Newly refurbished tarmac road washed away

· Water pipes and the general and drainage systems washed away

· Bridge connecting Kilembe Mines offices and the site 45 underground tunnels weakened and made impassable

· Katiri Primary school and the Katiri Catholic Nursery School submerged with furniture and classified text books destroyed

· The Katiri Catholic Church flooded with walls weakened

· 1 km section of the Kabirizi-Kyarumba road destroyed and made impassable

· Community makeshift timber foot bridge connecting Kyarumba and Kyondo Sub Counties washed away

· Unspecified acreage under crop in Kyarumba sub county submerged and others washed away

Emergency interventions made

· Identification and Assembling of the Rapid Assessment and Response Team in all the affected areas

· Identification and Assembling of the available Resources like ambulances, fire fighting trucks, lorries and other relevant equipments

· Evacuated 195 in patients from Kilembe Hospital to other Health facilities like st, Paul, Bishop Masereka, Kasese Municipal Health Centre iii, Kagando Hospital and Buhinga Hospital in Kabarole and temporarily suspended/closed the Hospital.

· Made follow up visits on the patients evacuated to ascertain their situation and offer care and support

· Offering precautionary messages to the river – adjacent communities.

· Held joint emergency disaster policy/Technical committee meetings aimed at charting the way forward and agreeing on the action plan.

· Compiled a tentative rapid needs assessment/status report and disseminated it to Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and partners which include Hima Cement Ltd, UNICEF, FURA, Kasese Nail and Wood, Uganda Red Cross Society, UNDP, Line Ministries, NEMA, UWA, TIBETI Hima, Kilembe Mines Ltd, Save the Children, World Vision International and the Media

· Reached out to partners like Hima Cement Ltd and acquired the excavator to help in de-silting/dredging and training of the river course

· Sensitized river bank adjacent communities on emergency relocation

· Constituted and operationalized a District emergency operational and coordination centre (DECOC) Headed by the DPC to ensure high level security, ferry clean water in the disaster area and also keep monitoring the water levels in collaboration with Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)

Resources so far mobilised and Received

S/n.	Partner	Resource type	Number/amount	Status
1.	Kasese M. Council	Fuel	4,000,000	Yet to be received
2.	Hima Cement Ltd.	Excavator with its crew/operators	1	Received
2.	Hima Cement Ltd.	Fuel (Diesel)	400 ltrs	Received
3	TIBETI-Hima	Fuel (Diesel)	2,000 ltrs	Pledged
4.	OPM	Empty plastic Jerrycans	400	Received but still in URCS stores
		Plastic Basins	400	Received but still in URCS stores
5.	URC Society	Empty plastic Jerrycans	200	Received but still in URCS stores
		Aluminium plates	1,000	Received but still in URCS stores
		Tarpaulins	400	Received but still in URCS stores
		Aluminium cups	1,000	Received but still in URCS stores
		Blankets	400	Received but still in URCS stores
		Cooking pots/pans	400	Received but still in URCS stores
6.	UNICEF	Assorted non food items	Assorted	Yet to be received

Threats

1. Existing weak points along the river Nyamwamba Channel which still pause a serious risk

· Kyanzuki P. School

· Royal Ranges SS

· Kilembe Mines water plant

· Bulembia P. School

· Site 45 Bridge (connecting Kilembe Mines offices and the site 45)

· Kanyaruboga

· Katiri Bridge

· Site behind Kilembe Hospital

· Road Barrier P. School

2. Collapsed power lines

3. Bunyandiko Gravity Flow Scheme source

4. Merging Rivers in Kyarumba (Nyamughasani and Nyamuruseghe)

Challenges

· Continuous rainfall

· Inadequate logistics/equipment

· Inadequate food and non food items

· Inadequate and delayed implementation of the post disaster recovery workplan

· People hesitant to relocate from the disaster prone area

Immediate interventions/Way forward

· Distribution of the available relief items (food and non food items)

· Make a strong voice to the Central Government including Office of the President to address the root causes of the floods and put in place disaster risk reduction measures

· Lobby for support from partners

· Explore mechanisms of evacuating adamant community members still staying in the disaster risk/prone areas in particular Kilembe valley

· Assorted Medicines and supplies

· Further enhance river channel de-silting, dredging and training

· Install gabions at weak/dangerous points

· Strengthen collaboration/coordination with partners

· Explore mechanisms of information dissemination/management-sources of information

· We may consider re-opening or temporarily close until the floods subsidize.

Short and Long Term Interventions

· Construction of flood walls

· Artificial levees

· Routine De silting of the river channels