On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister and the Sironko Disaster Management Committee, distributed essential non-food items to 100 households affected by recent hailstorms and landslides in Sironko District. Relief supplies reached families in the Bukiise and Butandiga sub-counties, as well as Sironko Town Council.

The distribution event, held at the Sironko District headquarters, saw participation from key officials, including Resident District Commissioner Dennis Ephraim Balwanilega, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Eko Aidan Edward, URCS Communication and Media Relations Officer John Cliff Wamala, and URCS Early Warning Officer Brenda Atero. Each household received a package containing blankets, mats, tarpaulins, kitchen sets, jerry cans, solar lamps, soap, and mosquito nets.

During the event, RDC Ephraim Balwanilega commended URCS for its swift response and urged residents to heed early warning messages issued by Government, URCS and other partners to minimize future disasters.

John Cliff Wamala expressed gratitude to the Office of the prime Minister and local leaders for their cooperation, encouraging beneficiaries to use the relief items wisely to aid their recovery. He reaffirmed URCS’s commitment to supporting the community through psychosocial services and community engagement through the area branch and Red Cross Action Teams.

One of the beneficiaries, Nalungo Sarah, an elderly resident from Salikwa Cell in Industrial Ward, shared her gratitude: “The hailstorm destroyed most of my belongings, and I had to move in with my daughter. Thanks to URCS, I now have my own plates, cups, and blankets, and and I can start rebuilding my life,” she said.