Uganda’s delegation to the 140th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly have called for an emergency fund to help African countries affected by Cyclone Idai that left 847 people dead and over three million displaced.
The intense Tropical Cyclone Idai was one of the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect Africa and the Southern Hemisphere. The long-lived storm caused catastrophic damage in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
The legislators led by Kawempe North MP, Latif Sebaggala told the delegates at the meeting in Doha, Qatar that the affected countries need relief to recover from the disaster whose death continues to rise.
“We are happy that the Government of Netherlands has vouched for the fund and we have got so much support. The lives of people including 1.5 million children are at stake if we do not act fast,” Sebaggala said.
According to Sebaggala, the cyclone also caused destruction estimated at US$1.5 billion. The delegation also demanded that respective parliaments push for measures such as mandatory tree planting in order to reverse the dangers of climate change.
“We appeal to our countries to ensure that we do whatever it takes to preserve our environment especially [through] tree planting. As MPs, we are duty bound to go to our constituencies and encourage our electorates to plant trees,” he added.
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