With support from the European Union, Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) operationalized the Disaster preparedness and response district contingency plan for Amolatar district. The operationalization was aimed at building capacities of the District Disaster Management committee and sub-county disaster management committee in conducting assessments and enhancing their capacities in preparedness and response mechanisms.

A training to operationalize the contingency plan was held on 29th -31st March 2023 in Amolatar district, and was attended by the District leadership, District Disaster Management Committee, Sub-County Disaster Management Committee & URCS Arua Branch Board members.

Samuel Mugisha, URCS Apac Branch Manager commended the District Distaster Management Committee (DDMC) for their prompt disaster responses and emphasized that the Pilot Programmatic Project (PPP) aims to bolster the DDMC's preparedness and management capabilities in handling disasters within the district.

Representing the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Amolatar district, James Odongo appreciated URCS for selecting Amolatar as one of the target districts for implementing the PPP project. “This project holds the potential to strengthen the DDMC's capacity and facilitate its effective functioning in mitigating, preventing, and responding to disasters within the district.”

Dr. Brian Kanaahe, the Director of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) at URCS, highlighted the rationale behind selecting Amolatar district as the location for the Pilot Programmatic project. “The initiative seeks to address climate-related challenges specifically affecting the Lake Kyoga region.”

Dr. Kanaahe explained that the project would support the district in implementing disaster prevention measures through a comprehensive contingency plan, ensuring representation from each sector within the district. He further emphasized that as a member of the DDMC, by policy URCS is mandated to build the diverse capacities of the committee in various aspects of emergency preparedness and response, aligning with its auxiliary role to the government of Uganda.

As part of the training , the participants collectively identified several hazards that had impacted Amolatar district, including floods, prolonged drought spells, crop pests and diseases, and wildfires, among others.

They actively participated in a series of trainings and group discussions that focused on critical topics such as forecast-based financing, early warning and early action (EWEA), community engagement and accountability, and communication in emergencies.

In her closing remarks, Mrs. Acen Josephine, the District Education Officer (DEO), emphasized the importance of disseminating this contingency plan training information to serve the district's communities effectively in disaster risk management.