By Denish Ongora (denish.ongora@vol.co.ug)
Lira
Lira district leaders have asked government to increase funding to cater for disasters.
Officials from the office of the Prime Minister were in Lira district yesterday to discuss ways of mitigating and responding to disasters.
According to reports from the office of the prime minister, Lango Sub Region is mostly faced by hailstorms besides other disasters like floods, drought, and lightning among others.
Lira district chairman RCM Okello Orik said the district has suffered several disasters but government has not responded to them citing hailstorms that destroyed crops in Ayami and Ogur, as well as lighting that struck to death a child in Ayami recently.
Lira district health officer, Dr. Patrick Buchan Ocen said government has a tendency of ring-fencing funds sent to address disasters which makes it hard to respond to some disasters
He cited the ceiling board of Aromo HCIII that collapsed and funds required for promotion of family planning services for teenage girls to curb teenage pregnancy.
Omara Orec Dejereti, the Lira district schools inspector said a number of schools had their roofs blown off by wind, like Aromo, Abolet, Awirao, Ayito and Atira primary schools that are all still waiting for government response.
Aromo Sub County chief Denis Odur Oremo decried low funding by government for disaster response.
Kumakech Charles from the department of relief, disaster preparation and management –asked districts to put into their budget, disaster response plans.
Kumakech asked people to plant trees, advise children to put on shoes while it’s raining to reduce their chance of being struck by lightning and avoid opening places when it’s raining among others.
Lira RDC Hamwada Pinto Ismael called for strengthening mechanisms to respond to disasters.
