Japan donates $1 million towards food aid for Karamoja 

https://observer.ug/news/headlines/74476-japan-donates-1-million-towards-food-aid-for-karamoja 

The Japanese government has donated food aid worth $1 million (about Shs 3.5bn) to the starving people of Karamoja sub-region.

Speaking to journalists at the World Food Programme (WFP) offices in Kampala, Japanese ambassador Fukzawa Hidemoto said they had signed off the funds to help with the purchase of beans and maize flour. Catherine Ahimbisibwe, the acting commissioner for relief, disaster preparedness, and refugees said WFP has so far transported up to 400 metric tonnes of food to the area.

She says that the WFP will use the money to procure the food, transport it, and distribute it to the people of Karamoja. Karamoja has experienced two seasons of crop failures due to prolonged drought which was accompanied by flooding. This prompted the government to start delivering food rations, an exercise that started in March.

To date, about 2,000 metric tonnes of maize and 1,000 metric tonnes of beans have been sent. About half a million people are estimated to be food insecure in the region. Apart from the government and donors, recently the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) also delivered food to the area in addition to NGOs that have started food collection drives.

An estimated 1000 people are said to have starved to death in Karamoja in the last two years. Earlier, the US donated $21m towards the same cause, Saudi Arabia also donated 5 tonnes of dates while China sent food donations in April. Government last week said it had committed at least Shs 135bn for the next 3 months towards the hunger crisis in Karamoja. 

Gov’t turns to partners over Karamoja hunger 

https://www.parliament.go.ug/news/6027/gov%E2%80%99t-turns-partners-over-karamoja-hunger 

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has requested the support of donors and development partners to respond to the prevailing food insecurity in the Karamoja sub-region.

According to statistics from government, presented by Hon. Esther Anyakun, the Minister for State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, 517,000 people in Karamoja have been at risk of food insecurity from March to July 2022 with the worst hit areas being Kotido, Napak and Kaabong districts.

Anyakun presented a statement on the status of disasters in the country and government intervention before Parliament on Thursday, 14 July 2022.

She said 1,590 metric tonnes of maize flour and 795 metric tonnes of beans have so far been delivered to Karamoja.  Anyakun also says that government is seeking support to salvage the situation.

“An appeal by the Rt Hon. Prime Minister was made to donors and development partners to respond to food insecurity in Karamoja sub-region that is highly affected,” Anyakun said.

On the long-term strategy to mitigate and prevent disasters, Anyakun said a Disaster Risk Management Plan was developed following the directive of the President and was very recently presented to Cabinet and approved.

On flooding in Kasese district due to overflowing of rivers Nyamwamba, Rubiriha and Nyamugasani relief was delivered, and government is desilting River Nyamwamba.

MPs who contributed to the hunger debate asked government to intervene in the whole country and not only Karamoja.

Hon. Peter Lokii, the Jie County MP says government needs to bring an end to the challenge of food insecurity, as people cannot rely on the unpredictable rain patterns.

“There is no hope, the weather pattern has changed and rain has not come at a point when people are supposed to be harvesting. It is important that our ministries, departments and agencies sit down and come up with the best option,” Lokii said.

Hon. Gilbert Olanya, the Kilak South MP says that in Acholi, most of the crops that have been planted have dried out. He says government needs to plan in advance for an emergency and also have a nationwide plan against hunger.

Kabula County MP, Hon. Enos Asiimwe, says that the army worm destroyed crops in his constituency and people are restless and worried for the future since they did not return a good harvest.

Hon. Sowedi Kitanywa, the MP Busongora North MP in responding to the minister’s statement said that focus should not be in only desilting River Nyamwamba, but all the other rivers in the Rwenzori region.

Uganda: Food crises and hunger rife in Karamoja

https://www.africanews.com/2022/06/14/uganda-food-crises-and-hunger-rife-in-karamoja// 

 Last updated: 14/06 - 17:36 

In one of Uganda's most volatile regions, anxious mothers clutch bone-thin infants in a malnutrition ward, terrified their child could be next to succumb to starvation in Karamoja.

More than half a million people are going hungry in Karamoja, some 40 percent of the population of this neglected, long-suffering rural region between South Sudan and Kenya.

One of Maria Logiel's youngsters, too weak to sit up, bears telltale skin lesions caused by extreme hunger. The other, strapped to her back, stares gauntly with sunken eyes.

"I came with these two because they were worse off, and going to die," Logiel told AFP at a hospital in Karamoja, a vast and isolated northeastern border region afflicted by drought, disease and armed bands.

"(But) I left two others home, and I worry that by the time I get back, they'll be no more," the 30-year-old mother said.

"The child was not sick. It was purely the hunger that killed. You see, even this one is on the brink of death."

As food has become ever more scarce, Karamoja's most vulnerable residents are struggling to survive.

Starvation in Karamoja is going largely unnoticed as higher-profile crises, including looming famine in the Horn of Africa, and the war in Ukraine, compel global attention.

"If we don’t do something right now then if they survive by chance, then we don’t expect very good human capability, human capital in the future. Because these kids will not do well in school, they will be stunted and the development, brain and everything, will be compromised," said Meri Jino, district chairperson Kaabong district.

The erratic effects of a changing climate -- Karamoja is experiencing harsh drought, but last year witnessed damaging floods and landslides -- have only multiplied the hardships bearing down on the region.

"In terms of acute malnutrition in this year we have experienced the worst that we have had in the last 10 years. And we are tracing this back to the issues around climate change, we have also experienced increasing pockets of insecurity as well as common childhood illnesses," said Alex Mokori, UNICEF nutrition specialist.

Across the region, about 91,600 children and 9,500 pregnant or breastfeeding women are suffering from acute malnutrition and need treatment, according to the latest assessment by humanitarian agencies and foreign donors.

Famine consumes Karamoja

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/famine-consumes-karamoja-3880508