Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda has reported the deaths of 12 individuals due to complications related to food shortages in the arid Karamoja region, located in the northeastern part of the country, amid an ongoing drought that has led to crop failures and increased levels of food insecurity.
The office of the Ugandan Prime Minister stated in a release that several areas in the country are facing drought conditions, noting that the continuation of these conditions in Karamoja has resulted in decreased agricultural production and a shortage of food supplies.
The statement explained that the government delivered 22 tons of emergency food aid on Wednesday, which included 13 tons of maize flour and 9 tons of beans, to the sub-regions of Lodok and Lwiyo in the Kabong district. It also mentioned that the Prime Minister’s office will seek cabinet approval on Monday for additional emergency food assistance for the Karamoja region and surrounding areas, in an effort to mitigate the impacts of drought on the most vulnerable households.
Additionally, the Prime Minister’s office has arranged for an extra shipment of food aid to be urgently distributed to the most affected areas, including Kabong, Kotido, Amudat, Nakapiripirit, and Moroto.
The Ugandan government has confirmed that it is taking urgent measures to support the households most affected by food shortages, expressing condolences to the families of the victims and the local communities impacted by the crisis. According to figures from the World Food Programme, approximately 20.3% of Uganda’s population lives below the poverty line, and 26% of children under five suffer from stunting in a country with a population of around 50 million.
Uganda hosts over 1.8 million refugees and asylum seekers from countries including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, which adds pressure on the country’s resources and services.
The deaths in Karamoja highlight the fragility of food security in Uganda’s semi-arid regions, where the effects of drought intersect with poverty, malnutrition, and limited access to food, making urgent government and humanitarian response a critical factor in preventing the crisis from worsening.
