“I was on my way home from my duty the day I saw my house was half collapsed. When I approached it, I was shocked, as all my family members were in the house and neighbors were running for their lives in different directions.” Mr. Gerevaz remembers the day when the Kagera earthquake hit the area where he was living: 10 September 2016.

“I am still afraid when big trucks pass near my house, as the slight tremor of the ground reminds me of the earthquake that damaged my house,” he said, telling us about the trauma he and his family have had since the earthquake.

Mr. Gerevaz lives in Ibaraizibu village in Karabagaine ward of Bukoba rural district, which was among the areas hit hardest by the earthquake that affected over 100,000 persons in Kagera Region. He heads a family of five, including three children, and survives by farming near their home.

Since the earthquake struck, the family had been living in their partially damaged house –  which was very risky –  for nearly eight months, until IOM and the Tanzanian Red Cross (TRC) constructed temporary shelters for his family and others in similar situations.

“I am now feeling protected and safe. I will continue repairing my former house while peacefully staying in my temporary shelter,” he says, showing us the progress he has made in repairing his former house using locally produced bricks. “I would like to thank IOM and TRC for this vital support,” he adds.

With support from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (UN CERF), IOM, in collaboration with the TRC, constructed temporary shelters for more than 1,250 vulnerable families and distributed Non Food Item (NFI) relief kits to over 2,500 beneficiaries in three districts of Kagera Region. The humanitarian assistance provided the affected individuals and families better protection and prevented both physical and psychological harm.

For additional information, please contact Dinka Hayleyesus at dhayleyesus@iom.int or Hashim Ally at hally@iom.int