Legislators from Teso Parliamentary group have appealed to government to immediately respond and offer aid to the people of Teso who are currently faced with heavy floods.
The leaders noted that despite their efforts to petition the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, no response has been received in terms of food relief and other items.
They noted that the floods which ravaged the region since April this year have so far claimed five lives and left a lot of property destroyed.
The group Chairperson and Serere County, Patrick Okabe noted that the disaster of floods destroyed foods, swept away the gardens and roads, destroyed people’s houses which has forced many people to seek shelter in schools and churches.
Okabe wondered why government has failed to build the required capacity within the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness to handle situations that happen almost every year.
“Government needs to build capacity to predict and handle disaster. It seems we wait for it to happen and then try to handle it; if it were in any other country, this would have been a national concern demanding immediate intervention and response,” Okabe said.
Kumi municipality MP, Silas Aagon said that the Teso region has now turned into a disasters prone area, hit by drought, famine and then floods but it still remains a challenge for government to cause rescue of its people.
He called for a quick and timely response to the current floods which are likely to affect the learning of students in the candidate classes because they can no longer attend classes.
The Ngora county MP, David Abala noted that more than 100,000 people are affected by these floods. He too wondered why government hasn’t taken trouble to resettle the displaced people.
The MPs are worried that water borne diseases are likely to break out as well as increased poverty because traders and businessmen can no longer transport their goods to markets.
Abala threatened that in case government continues to remain silent, he will mobilise masses to hold a demonstration.
“Some schools have now closed, houses have collapsed and toilets have burst into the streams, this will increases diseases, Malaria, dysentery and more airborne diseases,” Abala said.