Uganda flooding washes away towns, lives

SOROTI, Uganda (AP) -- Uganda declared a state of emergency Thursday in the worst flood-affected areas of the country as humanitarian workers tried to reach villages that have been cut off by water.

Uganda is among the nations hit hardest by floods that have swept across 17 countries in Africa in recent weeks. At least 200 people have been killed across the continent, and hundreds of thousands displaced. In Uganda, floods killed 21 people since August, said deputy police spokeswoman Judith Nabakoba.

"We expected the rains which have been falling since early August to ease off, but they are getting worse and we are seeing more and more people affected," said Relief and Disaster Preparedness Minister Tarsis Kabwegyere.

A state of emergency allows the government to divert money allocated for other programs to the floods. The government also said it hopes the declaration will spur international help.

"I've lost everything," Martha Amongin, 56, told The Associated Press in Magoro, a town in eastern Uganda that is surrounded by floodwater and has become inaccessible by road. "Life is going to be bad."

Driving rain pounded Amongin's hut for days until the structure gave way, disintegrating into a pile of mud and burying everything inside.

The United Nations chartered a helicopter to bring emergency supplies to areas where floods rendered roads impassible.

"We are targeting those in direst need. Many people have had to abandon their homes and are now sheltering in primary schools," said Geoffrey Edong, the World Food Program's regional chief. "Until we provide them with support and alternative accommodation, they cannot move and the schools cannot operate." E-mail to a friend

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