In the wake of devastating fire outbreaks in Nadunget, Lopeei, and Lorengedwat sub-counties within the Karamoja sub-region, Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has extended crucial support to 220 affected households in Moroto, Napak, and Nabilatuk districts.
This coordinated effort, undertaken alongside the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the District Disaster Management Committees (DDMCs) of the three districts, sought to provide essential non-food items to the affected families. The distribution in Nabilatuk was conducted at the Early Childhood Development Centre in Longoleyek village, Nathinyonoit parish, Lorengedwat Subcounty.
The event was attended by local leaders, including MPs Achia Remegio and Awas Silvia Vickie, Deputy RDC Jimmy Tebanyang Kikuyu, and District Chairperson Paul Lokol, the URCS provided each household with two blankets, two mats, a tarpaulin, a kitchen set, a solar lamp with phone-charging capability, two bars of soap, two mosquito nets, and a jerrycan. Additionally, Key URCS representatives John Cliff Wamala and Martha Imamut oversaw the operation.
During the event, MP Awas Silvia Vickie commended URCS for its prompt response, urging beneficiaries to use the relief items responsibly to build resilience.
Deputy RDC Kikuyu warned against hazardous practices like bush burning and using fire to trap rats, which are believed to have contributed to the fires that destroyed over 190 manyatas, displaced more than 500 individuals, and left nearly 300 households homeless.
“The government has introduced various poverty alleviation programs, such as the Parish Development Model, to promote modern farming practices and improve livelihoods. I urge you to embrace these initiatives and abandon dangerous activities that risk lives,” Kikuyu emphasized.
District Chairperson Paul Lokol expressed gratitude to URCS for its timely intervention, stating that the distributed items would significantly aid the affected families in developing coping mechanisms. “The fires not only destroyed homes but also wiped out food supplies stored in granaries and cereal fields. While we appeal to other well-wishers for food support, the items from URCS serve as a foundation for recovery,” Lokol remarked.
He also highlighted that many victims lost their savings, often kept at home, to the fires.
URCS Communication and Media Relations Officer, John Cliff Wamala thanked OPM and local leaders for their collaboration and he stressed that aid distribution prioritized vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, child-headed households, persons with disabilities, and the elderly.
Wamala reiterated URCS’s commitment to supporting the community through psychosocial support and ongoing community engagement through the area branch and the trained Red Cross Action Teams.
The fire incidents began on December 27, 2024, in Nadunget Subcounty, Moroto District, followed by outbreaks on December 28 in Lopeei Subcounty, Napak District, and Lorengedwat Subcounty, Nabilatuk District.
While no lives were lost, the fires caused significant destruction of homes, household items, and food supplies. URCS’s timely response was informed by a joint needs assessment conducted with OPM and local authorities. URCS’s efforts highlight the National Society’s dedication to addressing the urgent humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable communities in the Karamoja sub-region and country at large.