Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by floods after heavy rain submerged whole villages in eastern Uganda, a senior government official said.

Musa Ecweru, assistant minister for relief, disaster preparedness and refugees, described the situation as "catastrophic".

"The region has had rains for the last two months and homes have been submerged, bridges swept away and roads have become impassable," he said. "Many people have sought refuge in churches and areas of raised ground, while others have left the affected areas to live with relatives.”

In the sub-countyof Abarilela, 30,000 people who were displaced after Lord's Resistance Army raids in the area in 2003 and had just returned home were displaced again by the floods, he said.

"These people had just started cultivating their own food. The floods have again displaced them and all the food crops have been destroyed," he said. "Crops like cassava, millet and groundnuts that were due for harvest are rotting in the gardens."

The most affected districts include Amuria, Katakwi, Soroti, Kumi and Bukedea, where some homes have been under water.

The minister said some cases of cholera have been reported. "Plastic sheeting, food, medicine and mobile toilets are urgently needed to avert an epidemic. We are working with the health ministry to mitigate the problems," he said.

Kumi Member of Parliament Agnes Akiror Egunyu said that 2,000 families had become homeless in Ongino sub-county in Kumi district.

"We need immediate intervention in the form of food, medicine and shelter," she said. "People are living in schools and health centres and will not have any food until the next planting season."