Following a request from the Ugandan government for urgent
assistance to help at least 300,000 people affected by floods in
the east of the country, IOM is working to set up an operational
base in the affected district of Soroti to provide essential relief
items.

Particular focus will be given to assessing and assisting flood
affected areas that have not yet been covered such as Kamuda and
Bugondo in Soroti district with local officials reporting with
concern that the area as a whole has not yet received humanitarian
assistance.

Following an initial on-the-ground assessment at the weekend of
some areas in the Teso sub region by the Ugandan Minister of
Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Musa Echweru, and
various other government officials, United Nations (UN) agencies
and IOM, the team reported that the situation on the ground was
deteriorating on a daily basis with more and more areas being
flooded. Weather conditions hampered efforts to assess other areas
of Katakwi, including the sub-regions of Lango and Acholi.

IOM, which has been active in Uganda for several years working
on a range of programmes to assist internally displaced people and
those affected by conflict in the north of the country, is
appealing for nearly USD 290,000 through a UN Flash Appeal for the
provision of emergency shelter and non-food items to households in
seven areas in Soroti district.

Although various international organizations have either sent
some relief items including food or medicine to flood-affected
areas or are doing so in the days to come, there is a great need
for items such as tents, tarpaulins, blankets, jerry cans, mosquito
nets and hygiene items.

For further information, please contact:

Stephen Edyegu

Tel: +256 77 2 666142

E-mail: "mailto:sedyegu@iom.int">sedyegu@iom.int