By Anthony Bugembe

Increasing food shortage remains a serious concern in the north and eastern Uganda.

According to the Uganda Humanitarian Update for May, the situation is caused by the prolonged dry spell.

Other causes are the quarantine on livestock due to foot-and-mouth disease and the hike in food prices because of the limited supply and the high demand.

Following reports of acute famine and death from hunger, food security assessments were launched in Pader, Soroti, Amuria, Katakwi and Kaberamaido.

“Food insecurity was reported to be most dire in Amuru district. Results from seven sub-counties indicated that while no deaths occurred as a result of hunger, many families were surviving on one meal a day,” the report stated.

“Because of the inflated prices, most households spent 51% of their income on food. Normally, the bulk of expenditure goes towards medical treatment and school fees.”

In Pader, states the report, 75% of respondents indicated spending all their income on food.

About 75% said they have only one meal a day.

The report says in May, food distribution to extremely vulnerable individuals in northern Uganda covered 49,709 beneficiaries in Gulu and Amuru; 34,656 in Pader and 16,732 in Kitgum.

It notes that due to resource constraints, food assistance to individuals not considered extremely vulnerable remains suspended, notwithstanding the current seasonal hunger period in the region.

“As a result, about 30% of the planned beneficiary caseload in Moroto was not reached, while the exercise was disrupted by the mass polio immunisation campaign and logistical constraints in Kaabong.”

Several food security interventions also continue in the Acholi, Karamoja and Teso sub-regions.

“In Gulu and Amuru, new locations for cassava multiplication are currently being sought, to add to the existing 600 sites. A total of 200 acres of land have been identified in Patiko Ajul and Lakwana sub-counties.

“In Karamoja, 659,300kg of seeds, including groundnuts, maize, beans, sorghum, cowpeas and millet, were distributed to 120,000 households,” notes the report.