IBANDA-A rainstorm has destroyed at least more than 300 acres of food crops in some villages of Ibanda district, leaving some households food insecure.
Julius Bitwababo, the LC I Rwemengo I, Rwengwe parish in Kicence Sub-county, said the rainstorm destroyed mostly banana plantations, some houses, and churches such as St. Matia Mulumba.
Other crops affected include; coffee, cassava, beans, millet, peas, and maize.
“It is unfortunate that we had a rainstorm. I don’t know what people are going to harvest. We are most likely to face starvation,” said Bitwababo.
Mellon Kyomujuni, one of the affected residents said her house in Rwemengo I was not spared by the rainstorm as she was away for burial.
“We had gone for the burial but when we returned, we were shocked as our house had collapsed. We are requesting government to come and rescue us,” Kyomujuni said
Other affected villages in Ibanda include; Rwenkuba, Kihani, and Sigirira where iron sheets were perforated by the wind.
Meanwhile, in Isingiro district, similar rains accompanied by strong winds ravaged Ngarama Sub-county where a total about 10 villages were affected.
The affected areas include; Kabale parish, Mitoma cell Kamatarisi, Ibiri trading centre, Kamitinda, Biharwe among others.
Benon Matsiko, LC III Chairperson Ngarama Sub-county attributed the calamity to strong wind currents from the Indian Ocean as they passed through Tanzania in the South of Uganda.
“Strong rainstorms from Tanzania always affect us. People have not planted many trees that would have acted as windbreaks against the rainstorm,” said Matsiko.
He asked the government to provide relief items like food to the affected families. “Within two weeks’ time there will be no food so people need urgent attention from the Office of the Prime Minister,” he said, adding that farmers now need cheap loans to grow fast-maturing crops.
Villages affected include; Mitoma, Kamutinda, Nganda, and Biharwe
According to Amos Katugunda, LC I Mitoma village, the rains destroyed crops for almost 200 families in the area.
“It came with a lot of wind which devastated banana plantations, coffee, beans, cassava among others. “We are requesting government to support us so that people die of hunger in the coming months,” said Katugunda.
He said before the storm happened, farmers were expecting to reap big as prices of bunches of bananas have tripled in cities like Kampala, Mbarara.
This is the second time Isingiro district is being ravaged by heavy rains in a row. It was last affected on September 30, 2022, when heavy rains hit Migyera II village in Migyera parish Ruhiira town council. The heavy rains washed away gardens for bananas, coffee, beans, cassava, and sweet potatoes.
https://thecooperator.news/one-confirmed-dead-as-hailstorms-hit-families-in-rwampara-district/
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