12 suspected hunger-related deaths recorded amid Agago food crisis
In Agago District alone, health authorities have recorded 351 cases of malnutrition between January and July this year. Of these, 45 are severe cases currently admitted to health facilities, while 294 are classified as mild malnutrition.
Health authorities in Agago District have recorded 351 cases of malnutrition between January and July this year. (Courtesy photo)
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Prolonged dry spell has plunged parts of Acholi sub-region into a severe hunger crisis, destroying crops across thousands of households and leaving hundreds of people malnourished.
The situation has forced local leaders to appeal to government for emergency food relief.
In Agago District alone, health authorities have recorded 351 cases of malnutrition between January and July this year. Of these, 45 are severe cases currently admitted to health facilities, while 294 are classified as mild malnutrition.
District officials attribute the worsening malnutrition situation to widespread crop failure during the first planting season, which has left many families without adequate food.
Children account for majority of patients admitted with severe malnutrition, while most affected adults are suffering from mild malnutrition.
Data from the office of the Agago District Chairperson indicates that at least 12 people are suspected to have died from hunger-related illnesses over the past month. However, the deaths were not recorded at health facilities and are based on reports compiled by local council leaders.
Agago District Chairperson Wilson Otto said the prolonged dry spell has pushed many households into severe food insecurity after crops withered before maturity.
"Under normal circumstances, farmers who plant millet, maize and groundnuts in March begin harvesting in July. This year, however, the dry spell caused widespread crop failure," Otto said.
He added that reports from local leaders suggest that those who died had endured prolonged food shortages. "If the sunshine continues without rain, the number of hunger-related deaths could increase," Otto warned.
According to Otto, many families initially have been surviving on mangoes during the fruiting season. After the mangoes were exhausted, some households resorted to eating raw pawpaws as sauce, while others survived on wild leaves collected from nearby bushes.
The crisis is also taking a toll on education, with district authorities estimating that about 15 percent of learners have dropped out of school because their families can no longer provide food and other basic necessities.
He confirmed that all 45 patients with severe malnutrition remain admitted for treatment.
Meanwhile, Agago District Biostatistician Catherine Adoch said the health department is analysing malnutrition trends to establish the underlying causes and guide on appropriate interventions.
As the situation worsens, Otto said the district on July 3 wrote to the Office of the Prime Minister seeking emergency food relief and seeds to enable affected farmers to plant during the second rainy season.
The food crisis has spread beyond Agago, with neighbouring districts of Pader and Kitgum also reporting poor harvests and appealing to the government for relief assistance.
The worsening situation has also prompted the Acholi Parliamentary Group to petition the Office of the Prime Minister, calling for the immediate distribution of relief food and agricultural inputs to affected communities.
Efforts to obtain a comment from the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister were unsuccessful by press time.