UN warns flood-hit Uganda faces 'disaster'
Thursday, 11 October 2007
KAMPALA, Oct 10 (AFP): The United Nations food agency and charity group Oxfam warned Tuesday that thousands of Ugandans affected by recent floods will face months of starvation if assistance is not stepped up.
"The situation is dire for hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their homes, their belongings and most of their crops," World Food Programme chief Josette Sheeran said in a statement.
Uganda was one of the countries most affected by the torrential rains and floods that have swept much of sub-Saharan Africa in recent weeks.
Northeastern regions of Uganda were devastated by the worst floods in decades, with some 300,000 people either displaced or deprived of their crops.
"WFP needs 17 million dollars (12 million euros) to buy food for flood victims and 3.2 million dollars to provide trucks, boats, aircraft and emergency road and bridge repairs on behalf of the humanitarian community," the statement said.
"The situation is dire for hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their homes, their belongings and most of their crops," World Food Programme chief Josette Sheeran said in a statement.
Uganda was one of the countries most affected by the torrential rains and floods that have swept much of sub-Saharan Africa in recent weeks.
Northeastern regions of Uganda were devastated by the worst floods in decades, with some 300,000 people either displaced or deprived of their crops.
"WFP needs 17 million dollars (12 million euros) to buy food for flood victims and 3.2 million dollars to provide trucks, boats, aircraft and emergency road and bridge repairs on behalf of the humanitarian community," the statement said.