Government Delivers Relief Food to Drought-Hit Karamoja

By Our Reporter

The government has launched a major emergency food relief operation in the Karamoja sub-region, delivering 9,419,610 kilograms of maize flour and beans to address worsening food insecurity caused by prolonged drought.

According to a government report, the extended dry spell has severely affected agricultural production across Karamoja, leaving 16 people dead and thousands of households without adequate food supplies.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja flagged off the relief food at Bugolobi in Kampala. The supplies will be distributed to 313,987 households across 480 parishes in the nine districts of the Karamoja sub-region.

The distribution exercise is being implemented in partnership with the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), the Uganda Prisons Service, the Uganda Police Force and , Ministry of Local Government  to ensure the food reaches vulnerable families in a transparent and accountable manner.

Nabbanja, accompanied by the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Sam Engola, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting the lives and livelihoods of communities affected by the drought.

“The government stands with the people of Karamoja and will continue to mobilise the necessary resources to support their recovery and build resilience against future shocks,” Nabbanja said.

She added that the emergency intervention demonstrates the government’s determination to ensure that no family is left without food as efforts continue to restore livelihoods in the region.

Engola urged all stakeholders involved in the exercise to uphold transparency and accountability throughout the distribution process.

“I call upon political, religious and community leaders, civil society organisations, and the beneficiaries themselves to support this exercise by promoting transparency, accountability and peaceful distribution,” Engola said.