Uganda begins emergency food handouts after 19 die from hunger

Uganda has initiated emergency food distribution operations following reports of at least 19 deaths attributed to hunger in the eastern Karamoja region, where a protracted drought has led to widespread food shortages and severe malnutrition. The crisis has intensified as the region’s 1.5 million residents face acute food insecurity, exacerbated by the failure of crops due to the absence of seasonal rains. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net), a global monitoring system for food security, confirmed that conditions in Karamoja have worsened to a critical level. The government has allocated 45 billion shillings (£9 million) for the relief effort, marking the largest-scale operation of its kind organized by Ugandan authorities since international aid funding was significantly reduced. Officials announced plans to distribute 9,400 tonnes of food over the next two months. Minister Sam Engola, overseeing disaster preparedness and refugees, launched the initiative at a primary school in Lodiko sub-county within Kaabong district. He emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring no one in the region goes hungry, stating, “The president does not want to hear of anyone in Karamoja dying of hunger.” Karamoja is currently enduring its worst dry spell in years, with farmers reporting crop losses since the last substantial rainfall in April, the start of the planting season. Angelina Nakiru, a 21-year-old mother of two living in Rupa, near Moroto town, described the struggle to feed her family after losing all her crops. She now works at a local grinding mill, where rocks are crushed to extract gold, earning just enough to purchase minimal amounts of maize and beans. “If I don’t, the children will sleep hungry,” she said. “Other days when I fail to get the meagre income from the mill, we go to bed on empty stomachs.” Health facilities in the region have reported treating hundreds of children for severe malnutrition. A June nutrition report revealed that nearly half of the population in Karamoja’s Kaabong and Kotido districts were in a crisis situation. Experts point to multiple factors contributing to the region’s chronic food insecurity, including the effects of the climate crisis, environmental degradation through deforestation and overgrazing, and persistent poverty alongside low agricultural productivity. This current crisis follows a similar one in 2022, during which more than 2,200 lives were lost, according to data from Uganda’s human rights commission. While the emergency food aid aims to offer immediate relief, the government has pledged to implement long-term solutions through the newly approved Karamoja regional development plan. This strategy seeks to enhance community resilience against future droughts. Minister John Baptist Lokii, responsible for Karamoja affairs, outlined plans to supply drought-resistant, disease-resistant, and early-maturing seeds before the next planting season. Agnes Kirabo, executive director of Uganda’s Food Rights Alliance (FRA), noted that the government’s leadership in distributing aid reflects both necessity and strategic decision-making, given the drastic reduction in international humanitarian support. USAID, once a major donor with an annual budget of around $42.8 billion (£32 billion), has cut funding significantly, forcing organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) to reduce their operations in Uganda. The WFP has already scaled back food assistance for 63 percent of its beneficiaries in the country. Despite these challenges, the Ugandan government continues to prioritize addressing the immediate needs of the affected population while working toward sustainable solutions to prevent future crises.