1,500 displaced by coffee company

Over 1,500 people in Mubende district, 120 km east of Uganda'a capital Kampala have been displaced by a German company, Kaweri Coffee Plantation Limited, the 'New Nation' reported on Monday. The villagers are reportedly living in a forest without food, shelter and medicine, three children died last week, two of malaria and another from a snake bite. Action Aid Uganda, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has been trying to offer humanitarian assistance to the displaced who are threatened by disease and starvation and it has advised the government to resettle the people. The displaced allegedly had their houses demolished and their food stolen by plantation labourers. There is no clean water, contaminated ditches are the only source of drinking water when it rains. Health officials from Kiyinda Catholic Parish, who volunteered to immunise and treat the children despite the shortage of drugs, said an outbreak of cholera, dysentery, malaria and pneumonia were imminent. Volunteers have appealed to the government for drugs and to re-settle the people to places where they can have access to social and health services because they had lived on the land for long.