Elegu Town Floods Kill 8 People in 3 Months

At least 8 people have so far been reported in the Uganda South Sudan Border Town Council of Elegu since River Unyama burst its banks and floods started covering the area three months ago.

 

  

Michael Otong, the Area Councilor for Loriko East Village of in Elegu town told Uganda Radio Network on Monday evening that the area started flooding in an early August with heavy downpour.

  

Otong revealed that 6 people died between August and September, one in October and another  in November with 700 people being displaced while 2000 acres of crops which include beans, simsim, and sorghum were destroyed. 

  

The dead include, James Otici aged 18 and James Taku aged 15 who was a pupil in Palurinya Settlement Camp Primary School and was discovered floating on the water last evening.

 

The locals only found parts of the late Laku which include the head and chest while other part of his remains were eaten up by wild animals and the water is suspected to have been infested with crocodiles and hippopotamus according to the area councilor. 

 

Meanwhile, 30 goats and 18 calves were similarly reportedly swept away by the water and according to the local authorities, over 4,000 people in the area are prone to the outbreak of cholera since latrines in the area have all been flooded. 

  

Justine Acaye, a brother to the late James Taku says the deceased attempted to flee from the floods but drowned and stuck in mud and was discovered two days later dead.  

 

William Obadia, the Representative of Traders in Elegu Town Council has faulted the government for taking long to respond to the crisis since the area was hit by the disaster in Mid August this year.

 

Michael Lakony, the Chairman Amuru District Local Government says the District has no capacity to respond to the crisis. 

Lakony explained that the District had reached agreement with the Ministry of Water for creation of a diversion  of the water coming from Unyama Stream into River Nile. 

 

“The government should take this as an emergency when we have signed an agreement to improve on the area in the last two years but not even feasibility study was done” Lakony added.

 

 

However, in 2019 Amuru District signed a deal of 1.9 billion shillings with Trade Mark East Africa and Ministry Industry and Cooperative to widen the banks of River Unyama to avert it bursting them. 

  

Lucy Akello, the Woman Member of Parliament for Amuru District has urged government to fulfill  its pledge of long term planning in the area persistently affected by the floods.

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However, since 2017 Elegu Township with 13,000 people has suffered flooding every single year, and 4 people were similarly killed in a tragic incident of 2019 floods. The death toll has now risen to 12 in a period of two years.