Flooding risks in Palam sub-county, Katakwi district, have constantly increased due to climate change caused by rising water levels and changing precipitation patterns that have been normally natural, displacing over 310 households.
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, which are sometimes caused by human activities taking a main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas), which produces heat-trapping gases.
The displaced flood victims have fled to camp at Palam Primary School following the inundating water levels elicited by heavy rains that have hit the district over the last week.
Emmanuel Ilemut, the LCI chairperson in Achucu village, Palam sub-county in Katakwi district, said on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, that the situation of floods has destroyed several acres of crop gardens like sorghum, sim-sim, cassava, and over 300 households are affected after being submerged in water, breaking houses.
“We are asking the government to come in and rescue our situation to provide us with tarpaulins for shelter and relief food because we are worried diseases may arise and this may complicate our situation,” he said.
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Ilemut added that all roads connecting to Palam through Ngariam are currently cut off, causing worries to expectant mothers, and the now congested sheltering in schools with a pool of residents from different localities has triggered high tension for the likely spread of diseases.
Martin Egwarat, the LCIII chairperson, said that the constantly increasing water levels forced locals to vacate their homes to neighboring schools and raised land areas of Alengo Primary School, Olilim Primary School, Amurongora, and others fairly not affected by floods.
“Our animals are likely to die because there are grounds for grass, yet this is our main source of fees, and these animals are where our pockets are stationed,” he said.
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He reechoed that there is a need for the government and development partners’ intervention to provide displaced crowds with tents, mosquito nets, and relief food.
Samson Emorut, an elder, living at Palam Primary School with his family of nine members, said that they don’t have any food since their gardens were destroyed by floods, including some food that was at the stage of harvest.
“My family is leaving a starving life here at the camp; we came here without any food, and people here as well did not come with food,” Emorut said.
The government has continuously called for vegetation planting to retain excess water, terrace slopes to reduce slope flow, building alluviums (man-made channels to divert water from flooding), and construction of embankments, dams, and reservoirs.
