By Francis Kagolo

THE Australian government has pledged about sh173b to fight hunger in Uganda and other African countries in the next four years.

Bob McMullan, the Australian parliamentary secretary for international development assistance, said Uganda would receive another sh7b through their development assistance programme next year.

Under the food security project, he said, Australia would fund the supply of drought and pest-resistant seeds to the most vulnerable in the country.

McMullan was speaking during a dinner for Ugandans who studied under Australian scholarships programme at Serena Hotel in Kampala on Friday.

Many people died of hunger in Teso sub-region and other parts of Uganda.

The UN World Food Programme estimates over a billion people in the world lack food, he noted.

“Uganda and the rest of Africa have the potential to feed the world. Australia’s effort to boost food production in Africa is part of the solution to the world’s food problem,” said McMullan, who was flanked by the Australia ambassador, Lisa Filippeto.

McMullan said the increased funding would also improve access to clean water and reduce child and maternal mortality to help Uganda achieve the millenium development goals by 2015.