Emergency food distribution begins in Uganda as severe drought leaves 19 dead from hunger

The Ugandan government has initiated a large-scale emergency relief operation across the eastern Karamoja region following at least nineteen hunger-related deaths caused by prolonged drought and devastating crop failures.

With approximately 1.5 million residents confronting acute food shortages and rising rates of malnutrition, parliament approved a emergency funding allocation of forty-five billion Ugandan shillings to procure and distribute over nine thousand tonnes of food aid over the coming two months.

Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Sam Engola personally launched the distribution efforts in Kaabong district, assuring local communities that the state would oversee the delivery to ensure no starving household is left behind.

The current environmental crisis marks the most severe dry spell to strike Karamoja in recent years, with the crucial rains failing completely since the start of the planting season in April.

Health facilities across the region report a surge in children suffering from severe malnutrition, forcing desperate residents to seek low-paying, grueling work in informal gold-mining operations simply to purchase basic staples like maize and beans.

The disaster comes amidst significant international aid reductions, particularly following severe budget cuts from donors such as USAID, which forced organisations like the World Food Programme to scale back assistance to over one million refugees in the country.

In response, Ugandan officials and civil rights advocates emphasise that while emergency food distribution provides immediate life-saving relief, the government must prioritise long-term climate resilience, drought-resistant crops, and proper water infrastructure to permanently prevent recurring starvation in the region.