Diary: Climate impacts in Uganda - Part four

Unusually heavy and prolonged rains from July to November last year led to extraordinary floods across huge regions of north and eastern Uganda.

Latrines were flooded and the germ-laden water contaminated the wells and other water sources, causing massive increases in dysentery - and more water contamination. Cases of malaria also shot up. Oxfam launched a big operation to provide emergency clean water and to replace latrines.

The floods also wiped out food crops and food stocks, and the danger of starvation has continued up to the present day.

Ajojo Janet describes the experience of herself and her family, which was typical of many. "We grew cow peas, sweet potatoes, millet, cassava, green gram, sorghum, ground nuts, sim-sim [sesame]. Our plots were flooded; we lost all of our crops," she says.

"Even our compound was flooded and we couldn't dry what little we managed to rescue. We just felt helpless, our houses collapsed, we were soaked, we took refuge in a primary school."

Janet and her household, a total of 10 people, received 50 kilograms of maize from the prime minister's office, which was dropped by helicopter. But for some six months, they've had to depend on termites for food.

"We take spear grass and put it in the ant's nest and pull it out. If you get two cupfuls, lucky you! Not everyone can stomach them - we sell some termites to buy beans," says Janet.

When I spoke to her, she and her family were labouring in brickworks - the men loading bricks, the women fetching water - to earn money to buy enough seeds to sow in the hope of a good rainy season. Asked what she expects if the floods come again she replies, "Just death."

Elotu Joseph Elyanu, the district agricultural officer, observes that eating termites and wild leaves is a common strategy to ward off hunger in normal years during the "hunger gap" between April and May. But this year, he says, people started eating termites from February, even January - indeed, they've barely stopped since the floods.

"Now, the situation is not good. Most people lost their crops and couldn't dry them so most people now have only one meal a day and we've noticed communities have started eating wild leaves and termites," he says.

He's watching with bated breath to see whether this year's rains bring life - or more death.

This is the fourth in a five-part series, re-published from the Oxfam GB climate change and poverty blog. Click on the links for part one, part two and part three.

A new Oxfam report on the impacts of climate change on poor people in Uganda will be published in early July.

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