At least 450 survivors of the Mbale Floods on Friday received relief items.
In a joyous function, where the survivors received items including 10 iron sheets, blanket, mattress, jerrican, and water purification bucket was handed over to each household yesterday with a transport refund of Shs20000 to enable them to return to their current locations, there was hope that they will finally start on the process of rebuilding their lost houses.
The multimillion packages were donated by the African Women and Youth Action for Development (AWYD), in partnership with Help age International in Mbale City.
Steven Wamon Bwayo the Executive Director of AWYAD reiterated that when the flood incident occurred, AWYAD took initiative and responsibility to look for partners and moved around to monitor and find out how many people were affected, how much they were affected, and how many of the affected have been assisted.
This has helped them to abley generate a list of the victims.
Mubbalya Crespo the partnership and advocacy coordinator of AWYAD says that the rivers and mountains are now sticking due to over-exploitation by the people which causes such havoc.
He, therefore, called upon the beneficiaries to utilize the relief items appropriately because not all the time there will be people to help them out.
The Mbale residence city commission Ahamada Washaki urged the beneficiaries to avoid constructing in the already dangerous areas and relocate to safe areas to avoid the reoccurrence of the incident.
He called upon them to avoid degrading the environment through human activities that are so harmful to the environment.
Charles Jekko the councilor of the Doko ward applauded the AWYAD for following the appropriate process to approach the flood victims by taking initiative and responsibility to move around and make assessments of who and how many people were affected by the floods to avoid mid-deliverance.
Bilal Yusuf the chairperson Doko ward Mbale called upon the government to come out and help the victims relocate to safer places because the rivers that burst into floods can not be removed or even shifted.
Mariam one of the beneficiaries from Doko ward says that during the incident of floods, she was just helped and saved from death by some people due to her disability.
She says that it would much better if they are given cement because these places need a very strong foundation when constructing houses.
Adds that if the government can get them a safer place to live normally like they have been and not live like slaves.
Samson a son of another beneficiary says that her mother’s house was distorted and collapsed in the process of floods and that he is very grateful for the relief items they have got because it has given them a starting point.
