Uganda Launches Emergency Food Aid As Hunger Crisis In Karamoja Claims At Least 19 Lives

Uganda has launched an emergency food relief programme in the drought-hit Karamoja region after at least 19 people reportedly died from hunger. The government plans to distribute 9,400 tonnes of food over two months using 45 billion Ugandan shillings in emergency funding. Severe drought, crop failures, poverty and reduced humanitarian aid have worsened food insecurity, while hundreds of children are being treated for severe malnutrition.

Uganda has launched an emergency food relief programme in the drought-hit Karamoja region after at least 19 people were reportedly killed by hunger, as severe food shortages and rising malnutrition leave millions increasingly vulnerable.
The government plans to distribute 9,400 tonnes of relief food across the region over the next two months in what officials describe as a major emergency response to the worsening crisis.
The relief programme was made possible through an emergency funding allocation of 45 billion Ugandan shillings, approved by parliament.

KARAmOJA FACES SEVERE FOOD SHORTAGES

Karamoja, in northeastern Uganda, is experiencing one of its worst dry spells in years.
The region has a population of about 1.5 million people, many of whom depend heavily on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods.
However, crops have failed after the expected seasonal rains did not arrive. The last significant rainfall was reportedly recorded in April, around the beginning of the planting season.
The resulting food shortages have left families struggling to find enough food, while health facilities are treating hundreds of children suffering from severe malnutrition.
The Famine Early Warning Systems Network has warned that food insecurity in Karamoja has deteriorated to crisis levels.

GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES LARGE-SCALE RELIEF OPERATION

Sam Engola, Uganda's minister for disaster preparedness and refugees, launched the food distribution programme at a primary school in Lodiko sub-county in Kaabong district.
He said President Yoweri Museveni had made it clear that no one in Karamoja should die from hunger.
The government has promised to supervise the distribution process to ensure that the emergency supplies reach those most in need.
The programme is expected to provide immediate assistance to families facing the most severe shortages.

A MOTHER'S STRUGGLE TO FEED HER CHILDREN

Behind the statistics are thousands of families struggling to survive.
Angelina Nakiru, a 21-year-old mother of two from Rupa, near Moroto, said the failure of her crops had left her unable to provide enough food for her children.
She now works at a small-scale grinding mill, where machines crush rocks so that gold-bearing ore can be processed.
The work is dusty, physically exhausting and poorly paid, but Nakiru said it is one of the few ways she can earn enough money to buy basic food such as maize and beans.
On days when she cannot find work, she said her children sometimes go to bed without eating.
Her experience reflects the desperation facing many families in the region, where the collapse of agricultural production has pushed vulnerable households towards increasingly difficult ways of earning a living.

MALNUTRITION AND FOOD INSECURITY DEEPEN

A nutrition assessment published in June found that nearly half of the population in Kaabong and Kotido districts was experiencing crisis-level food insecurity.
The situation is particularly concerning for children, pregnant women and nursing mothers, who face greater health risks when food supplies become scarce.
Medical facilities in the region have reported treating large numbers of children for severe malnutrition, placing additional pressure on an already stretched healthcare system.
Without sustained intervention, experts warn that the crisis could become more severe as households exhaust their remaining food reserves.

WHY KARAMOJA IS VULNERABLE

The food crisis is not caused by drought alone.
Experts point to a combination of climate-related shocks, environmental degradation, deforestation, overgrazing, poverty and low agricultural productivity.
The region has also experienced recurring food insecurity, making many communities particularly vulnerable when rainfall fails.
The effects of climate change are adding to these existing challenges, with rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns making traditional farming increasingly unpredictable.

UGANDA HAS FACED DEADLY HUNGER CRISES BEFORE

The current emergency has raised concerns because Karamoja has experienced devastating hunger crises in the past.
In 2022, more than 2,200 people reportedly died during a severe hunger crisis, according to figures from Uganda's human rights commission.
The latest reports of hunger-related deaths have therefore renewed calls for stronger long-term measures rather than relying solely on emergency food distributions.

AID CUTS ADD TO THE PRESSURE

The government's emergency response comes at a time when international humanitarian assistance has been significantly reduced.
Major funding cuts, including reductions in US foreign aid, have forced humanitarian organisations to scale back their operations in several countries.
The World Food Programme has also reduced food assistance for refugees in Uganda, reportedly phasing out support for 63% of the refugee population.
More than one million people have reportedly lost access to food assistance, while the number of recipients receiving rations has been reduced.
This changing humanitarian landscape means that the Ugandan government is increasingly being forced to take responsibility for responding to emergencies that international agencies previously helped to manage.

GOVERNMENT PROMISES LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS

While the emergency food programme is expected to provide short-term relief, Ugandan authorities say they are also working on longer-term measures to reduce Karamoja's vulnerability to drought.
Under a recently approved regional development plan, the government aims to strengthen communities' resilience and improve agricultural productivity.
John Baptist Lokii, Uganda's minister for Karamoja, said the government plans to provide farmers with drought-resistant, disease-resistant and early-maturing seeds ahead of the next planting season.
The strategy is intended to help farmers produce crops even when rainfall is unpredictable.

THE BIGGER STORY

The crisis in Karamoja illustrates the growing connection between climate change, poverty, food insecurity and humanitarian funding shortages.
Emergency food aid can save lives in the immediate term, but it cannot by itself solve the underlying problems that leave communities vulnerable to drought.
For families like Angelina Nakiru's, the real challenge is not simply receiving food during a crisis but having a reliable way to grow or earn enough food to feed their families throughout the year.
As Uganda begins distributing thousands of tonnes of emergency supplies, the success of the response will depend not only on reaching those currently facing hunger but also on whether long-term investment can help Karamoja withstand the next drought before another food crisis develops.