IOM has set up an office in the district of Soroti in Uganda's Teso
region from where it will shortly begin its operations to assist
those worst affected by floods which have hit the north, east and
central parts of the country.

The distribution of non-food relief items such as blankets,
kitchen equipment and jerrycans provided by UNICEF and targeting
more than 1,600 families, is expected to begin tomorrow following
the arrival of a consignment of tarpaulins.

However, IOM staff on the ground now report that more than 5,000
families or 25,000 people are in need of urgent assistance
following further assessments by teams including local authorities,
IOM, UN and other organizations, with the situation worsening on a
daily basis.

With most of the roads washed away and the last remaining road
between Soroti and Mbale linking the district to Kampala under
threat due to continued rain and rising water levels, the area is
close to being completely cut off.

"We're currently reviewing the number of people we need to
reach. Shelter is not the only issue for those left homeless. The
threat of being cut off has added to the cost of food on the local
market while another major concern is sanitation as many latrines
have been destroyed," said IOM's Stephen Edyegu.  "People are
trying to cope as best they can by either moving in with relatives
in dryer areas or into school buildings where possible."

Meanwhile, in Ethiopia which has also been hit by floods, IOM is
preparing to distribute non-food items to flood affected victims in
Gambella region. IOM staff are also participating in a multi-agency
assessment of some of the worst affected districts in Gambella
including Lare where an estimated 15,000 people are displaced.

For further information, please contact:

Stephen Edyegu

IOM Uganda

Tel: + 256 77 2666 142

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

or

Lily Sanya

IOM Ethiopia

Tel: + 251 911 210 561

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