Absa donates shs60m towards relief for flood victims in eastern Uganda

Absa Bank has announced a donation worth shs60 million to the Uganda Red Cross Society to cater for the purchase of shelter kits to provide temporary shelter and basic household essentials for families displaced by flash floods in Eastern Uganda.

The donation is intended to strengthen the disaster response by providing essential relief supplies to affected people and families.

Speaking during the handover, the Absa Bank Managing Director,  Mumba Kalifungwa  expressed sympathies about the ongoing emergency and committed the bank’s resources to meet the needs of the most affected.

“We believe this support will supplement the measures put in place by the government and other humanitarian players in response to the natural disaster. The donation is being channeled through the Uganda Red Cross Society to provide much-needed humanitarian relief support to the victims of the disaster who find themselves displaced with no homes or shelter,” said  Kalifungwa said.

The nine hour downpour in Eastern Uganda  over the weekend resulted in rivers Nabuyonga, Namatala, Nashibiso and Napwoli bursting their banks creating loosened soils that led to flooding and landslides.

The extreme weather created a natural disaster that has led to the loss of lives, destruction of property and infrastructure, displaced people and families and wiped-out sources of livelihood.

The districts most affected by the disaster include Mbale, Kapchorwa, Bulambuli, Manafwa, Sironko and Namisindwa which are all prone to heavy rainfall because of their proximity to Mt. Elgon.

While receiving the donation, Robert Kwesiga, General Secretary of the Uganda Red Cross Society appreciated Absa for the support, stating that the situation on the ground was dire with a vast need for relief support for affected people.

“Working together with the government, we have teams on the ground as we conduct search and rescue operations and provide relief support to the most affected people. We appreciate Absa for this fast response which will go a long way towards providing temporary shelter units to those who lost their homes and are now homeless while a more permanent solution is sought. The same support will provide relief basic nonfood items such as blankets, and jerricans which are required to enable affected families to develop coping mechanisms.” Kwesiga added.