Ntoroko District in western Uganda has been battling with the devastating effects of climate change since 2019 till today particularly due to rising water levels in Lake Albert.
Speaking with the media yesterday, James Balikinghamba, the chairperson of Kanara Seed IDP Camp, revealed that they have been in the camp since 2021.
“Over 736 people live in Kanara Seed IDP Camp and conditions have not improved,” he said.
Many displaced families lack access to food, healthcare, schools, and other essential social services.
In October 2019, the lake’s banks burst, causing massive flooding that displaced thousands of residents. Many families who lived along the lakeshores lost their homes as the water encroached on their land.
Flooding has remained a persistent crisis in Ntoroko, with over 9,365 people displaced since 2019 till today.
The floods have not only destroyed homes but also submerged key infrastructure, including landing sites, making fishing, one of the major economic activities in the district almost impossible.
The affected people continue to endure harsh living conditions in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.
Augustine Patrick Musemeza, the vice chairperson of the IDP camp, highlighted a rise in cases of teenage pregnancies due to the vulnerability of young girls in these settlements.
Kanara Town Council Mayor, David Kor, noted that the floods often strike at night, catching residents off guard.
“People have nowhere to go when the waters rise unexpectedly. They lose everything in an instant,” he stated.
Ntoroko District Chairperson, William Kasoro, expressed the local government’s desire to find a permanent settlement solution for the displaced communities.
“We wish to get a new place for resettlement because the affected people are willing to relocate,” he said.
The crisis in Ntoroko highlights a larger global issue. The Institute of Economics and Peace projects that climate change will displace 1.2 billion people worldwide by 2050.
Currently, around 30 million people are displaced each year due to environmental disasters. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, an increasing number of people are being forced to flee their homes, giving rise to a new occurance of “climate refugees”.
Residents of Ntoroko are urging the government and humanitarian organizations to accelerate resettlement efforts and deliver relief aid to ease their hardships.
