Kigali: In response to the destruction of houses and crops, caused by months of extensive rains, flooding and windstorms in Rwanda, the European Commission has provided EUR 100,000 (RWF 100,881,897) in humanitarian funding to assist the most affected families.
This EU funding will support the Rwanda Red Cross Society in delivering much needed relief assistance, especially to the families whose houses were extensively damaged by heavy rains at the beginning of March this year.
It is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The assistance will include the transfer of cash to affected families to buy food, as well as the distribution of essential household items including mattresses, blankets, jerry cans, buckets, kitchen sets and soap, among other basic hygiene products. The Rwanda Red Cross Society will, furthermore, rehabilitate over 400 latrines.
Meetings with the community and mobile cinemas will be used to raise awareness among the people on the importance of hygiene, and on how to prepare for heavy rains and reinforce roofing as a risk reduction measure.
Running until June 2020, this humanitarian action will benefit inhabitants in Gasabo, Gisagara, Ngoma and Nyagatare districts in Kigali, Eastern and Northern Provinces of Rwanda. Most of the families receiving support either had their houses destroyed or their farm crops washed away by the flood waters.
Since the beginning of November last year, Rwanda has experienced heavy rains which have resulted in rivers bursting their banks, causing floods in many parts of the country. There was also extensive damage to houses and sanitary facilities.
More recently, at the beginning of March, heavy rains and windstorms over two days brought floods to Central and Eastern Provinces of Rwanda, destroying more homes and cropland. (End)