Uganda (CMP/MNN) — Unusually heavy rains across east Africa this spring are testing a fragile infrastructure.
Even normal rains can cause flooding and damage in areas with poor drainage, but the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the deluge is pushing emergency responses to their limits.
Already, flooding is reported in Uganda and Kenya, as well as Ethiopia. The UNCHR thinks it likely to continue through May. Mbale, Tororo, Kalangala, Bundibugyo, and Masaka districts are among those most affected by hailstorms, according to the Uganda Red Cross Society.
They also note that the recent flooding displaced over 5,000 people. Roughly 8,000 remain without help. The displaced are in urgent need of shelter kits, household ,and water purifying supplies.
Word from Compassion International is that the rain during the first week of April caused a landslide in the southwestern area of Uganda.
Some houses and crops in the community were damaged, and roads were temporarily blocked as a result of the landslide. Nine children from Kacereere Child Development Center (UG-725) were affected. The homes of these children's families were damaged, and the families lost personal belongings.
The Compassion center and the local government have provided assistance to the affected families. However, the team does more than simply meet the physical needs. Poverty sends a message that says, "You don't matter." Introducing children to their loving Heavenly Father is the most powerful way of reversing this message. Every child who participates in a Compassion program is given the opportunity to learn about Jesus and discover how to develop a lifelong relationship with God.
Please pray for the families who have been affected by the landslides. Also pray that the heavy rains will stop soon. Compassion Uganda provides updates as more information is available.
