Ibanda: Residents face famine threat after storm destroys food crops
Residents of Nyamuswiga cell in Kashungura ward, Kagongo Division in Ibanda Municipality face a threat of hunger, following an incident where a storm destroyed crops on Tuesday.
The residents revealed that the devastating storm which lasted for about five minutes destroyed bananas, beans, cassava, fruit and avocado trees.
Apollo Bigirwa, the LC I chairperson Nyamuswiga cell said that although no one was injured in the storm, but one house was destroyed, said the village leader while registering residents affected by the storm on Wednesday morning.
Bigirwa has called for food aid from the government after crops for over 200 households in Nyamuswiga were destroyed in this storm.
Bernard Taremwa, a father to three school-going children, said they will not be able to afford fees and school lunch for their children.
“We have lost our means of survival,” said Taremwa.
Clemensia Baziigatire, 83, also noted that she is worried about how she will survive after half of her banana plantation and cassava were destroyed by the storm yet she does not eat posho.
Adrian Kweyamba, the Kagongo Division chairperson, said they were going to register all the affected households and forward the information to relevant authorities for possible intervention.
Kweyamba, however, urged the residents to plant wind breakers in their land boundaries to reduce the impact of such storms in the future.
