Humanitarian Support for Families in Crisis after Devastating Mudslides.

The once-green slopes of Mt. Elgon have turned into rivers of mud and despair. Over the past few weeks, relentless rainfall has triggered massive mudslides and flash floods across the Sebei Sub-region, displacing several families, burying homes, and washing away crops, livestock, schools, and roads.

Communities in Kapchorwa, Kween, and Bukwo Districts are reeling from the destruction. Families who once thrived on the mountain’s fertile soils now sleep under makeshift shelters, shivering in the cold, their lives upended in minutes. As Paramount Research Triangle Consortium (PRTC) Uganda, we have been and continue to be on the ground, assessing the extent of the disaster and working with community leaders to identify the most urgent needs.

Lives lost, Hope tested

Our field reports indicate a tragic loss of life and widespread destruction of homes and farmland. Entire villages, especially in Sub-counties of Tuikat and Kwosir in Kween, Tegeres/West Division in Kapchorwa, and Chesower & Mutusheet in Bukwo, have been cut off by landslides that swallowed roads and bridges.
Clean water sources have been contaminated, heightening the risk of cholera and waterborne diseases, while hundreds of children and elderly people now face severe hunger and exposure.

This is not the first time Sebei has faced such devastation. But this one is different. It has struck communities that were already vulnerable, small holder farmers who had barely recovered from previous landslides and droughts. The cycle of climate-induced suffering is worsening, and urgent intervention is needed.

PRTC’s Emergency response efforts

PRTC Uganda, a community-based development and research organization headquartered in Kapchorwa Municipality, has mobilized volunteers to provide immediate relief coordination and needs assessment. Our teams continue documenting affected households, distributing emergency supplies, and working closely with local leaders to ensure aid reaches those most in need.

But the situation far exceeds our current capacity. Communities urgently require:

• Food and nutrition support for displaced families and malnourished children.
• Emergency shelter materials, including tarpaulins, blankets, and clothing.
• Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene items to prevent disease outbreaks.
• Basic medical care and psychosocial support for survivors traumatized by loss.
• Livelihood restoration to help families recover their farmlands and dignity.

A region on the frontline of climate change

The Sebei highlands, home to the Indigenous Benet community and thousands of smallholder farmers, are on the frontline of Uganda’s climate crisis. Deforestation, poor land use practices, and extreme weather patterns have made the region more prone to disasters.

These mudslides are not just a natural tragedy; they are a wake-up call. They reveal the urgent need for climate adaptation, sustainable land management, and resilient livelihoods that can withstand the changing environment.

How you can help

We are calling on development partners, humanitarian agencies, the private sector, and individuals of goodwill to stand with the people of Sebei during this critical time.

You can support by contributing cash, relief items, or technical expertise toward emergency response and recovery. Every contribution, no matter how small, it helps a family find shelter, a child find food, or a community find hope again.

Together, we can turn despair into resilience and ensure that no life in Sebei is left behind.

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