Uganda has launched an emergency food distribution program after at least 19 deaths from hunger were recorded in the drought-stricken eastern part of the country. The government plans to deliver 9,400 tonnes of relief food over the next two months, using an emergency budget of 45 billion shillings (about £9 million) approved by parliament.
The Karamoja region is experiencing its worst drought in years. Consecutive crop failures due to lack of rain have left 1.5 million people facing severe food shortages and rising malnutrition. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net) reports the situation has escalated to crisis level across all of Karamoja.
Speaking at a primary school in Kaabong district on Wednesday, Sam Engola, Uganda's minister for disaster preparedness and refugees, said: "The president does not want to hear of anyone dying of hunger in Karamoja. I am here to oversee the distribution of food to the end. I will ensure everyone receives food. No one will be left behind."
Health facilities report treating hundreds of children with severe malnutrition. A nutrition report published in June showed nearly half the population in the two districts of Kaabong and Kotido is in crisis. Experts attribute the recurring food insecurity to climate change shocks, environmental degradation such as deforestation and overgrazing, poverty, and low agricultural productivity.
Angelina Nakiru, 21, a mother of two in Rupa, about 8 km from the town of Moroto, said she is struggling to feed her children after crop failures. Each morning she goes to a rock-crushing plant to search for gold ore, a dusty and exhausting job that is her only way to buy maize and beans for her children. "The situation is terrible. People are dying of hunger. The government must come and help the people," she said.
This is the first large-scale campaign organized by the Ugandan government since aid was cut. Agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) have been forced to significantly scale back relief operations. In Uganda, the WFP has stopped food support for 63% of the refugee population, cutting off more than 1 million people from aid.
Agnes Kirabo, executive director of the Uganda Food Rights Alliance (FRA), said: "Emergency food distribution is a life-saving measure, not a long-term solution. To break this vicious cycle, we must address the root causes of food insecurity through structural reforms." She argued that access to food should be treated as a basic human right and that the government needs to invest in water infrastructure and climate resilience. "Ultimately, the hunger crisis in Karamoja is a governance crisis. The government's leadership in this emergency is welcome, but political will is needed to make systemic changes to protect the people of Karamoja and Uganda from predictable and preventable famine," Kirabo said.
