Farmers plead for help as rain ravages homes

FOURTY-SIX families in Muko Sector, Musanze District have implored authorities to help them renovate their houses after a heavy downpour destroyed their homes last month, leaving them homeless. The affected say they have for the past two months been staying with neighbours. The heavy rain in this part of the country in November, destroyed property and left close to 50 houses in ruins. Antoinette Uwimana, a mother of three, lives in a nearby bar where she was given a small room in which she lives with her family. “My house was destroyed with all household property. I am now homeless, I fear my children might interact with the patrons of the bar,” Uwimana said. “Local leaders promised us emergency relief but two months down the road, we have not received anything. My family is too poor to build another house,” she added. Daphrose Nikuze, a mother of four, is in a similar dilemma. She says she lacks money to renovate her house. “It is unfortunate that rain destroyed houses of the most vulnerable. I have inconvinienced my neighbour for days and I wish I could get support to build my own house, ” Nikuze said. Amiel Ndahiro, the executive secretary of Muko Sector, said they are waiting for iron sheets to give to families whose houses were destroyed. He added that some of the affected have capacity but are reluctant to rebuild their houses because they anticipate support from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (Midimar). However, he could not divulge the number of vulnerable people who need support. Phillipe Habinshuti, the ministry’s acting director of Disaster Management, urged local leaders to identify and support the most vulnerable by starting off construction works as soon as iron sheets are released. “All they need is to plan for community work (Umuganda) to help construct houses,” Habinshuti said. Ndahiro said some houses had their roofs blown off by rain and need re-roofing while others have been constructed butlack iron sheets. Last year, at least 75 people died from disasters in areas that have been desiginated as high-risky zones. This year alone, more than 58 people have died, according to Midimar. Muko Sector is one of the areas that have been designated as prone to disasters in the country. In June, the government launched the construction of houses for 30,822 families meant to be resettled from areas regarded as prone to disasters across the country.

National

Farmers plead for help as rain ravages homes