A new project has been launched in Ngororero to help build disaster resilient communities in two sectors of the district.

The two-year scheme, worth $1.8million (about Rwf1.4 billion), is a joint effort between the government and six UN agencies.

The project, dubbed "Strengthening Human Security by Enhancing Resilience to Natural Disasters and Climate Related Threats’, is jointly coordinated by the Ministry for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR) and the UNDP.

The new scheme will particularly benefit vulnerable residents in Sovu and Kabaya sectors.

Situated in the northwest of Rwanda, Ngororero is one of the hilliest districts in the country.

The project was launched on Monday in the presence of the Minister for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, Seraphine Mukantabana; UN Resident Coordinator Lamin M. Manneh, among other officials.

Mukantabana said the project was part of a broader national effort to build communities that are resilient to disasters and to mitigate effects of climate change.

"The project comes to address some disaster-related challenges, through, among others, constructing resilient housing units,” she said.

Most disadvantaged households, the minister said, are often vulnerable to disasters due to their limited capacity.

The project aims at strengthening human security, enhancing resilience and improving disaster risk management in the two sectors, which are considered to be high risk zones, officials said.

Mukantabana said 21 model housing units that are strong enough to withstand such disasters as floods and landslides will be constructed and handed to some of the most vulnerable residents in the two sectors.

Over 28,000 households live in high risk zones in the district with around 1,800 of them deemed vulnerable.

The project will also see over 200 youths acquire vocational and business skills over the course of the two years.

It will also see two health posts in the two sectors upgraded to health centres to benefit more residents, including women seeking reproductive health services, Mukantabana said.

Over 10,000 residents, including children, will also benefit from clean water that will be extended to the two sectors, thanks to the new project.

The minister called on local leaders and all Rwandans to do their best to ensure those still living in high risk zones relocate to safer places.

While the government has done a lot to help the most vulnerable people relocate from high risk zones, some are still reluctant to relocate and continue to expose their lives to danger, Mukantabana warned.

Manneh hailed government interventions designed to promote the welfare of Rwandans, particularly the needy.

He reaffirmed UN’s commitment to supporting national efforts to ensure the vulnerable enjoy a safe and resilient life with dignity and hope.

The UN Resident Coordinator said the United Nations was honoured to contribute to the multi-sectoral response to human security challenges in the district.

"Hopefully, we will be able to extend these kinds of interventions to all the affected areas in the country,” he said.

Local leaders and residents in the area welcomed the project, saying it would help save lives of many and improve their socio-economic status.

"This project will help some of our most vulnerable people own modern houses, it will give us clean water and improve our to health services,” said Gergoire Habumuremyi, one of beneficiaries.

He also noted that the project would give jobs to many residents.

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