EU earmarks sh19.8b to tackle Karamoja food insecurity

WAKISO - The European Union (EU) says it has set aside Euros 5 million (about shillings 19.8 billion) to address the food insecurity situation in the Karamoja region. 

The funding was announced on Thursday, October 31, 2024, by the new EU head of co-operation in Uganda Karolina Hedström, at the agriculture ministry headquarters in Entebbe.

Explaining how the funds under the project dubbed: Improving Food Security & Resilience of Food Production Systems in Karamoja will be used, Hedström said the money will be channelled through implementing partners such as the World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organisation and supervised by the agriculture ministry.

Ronald Gyagenda, the agriculture ministry undersecretary.

She added that the programme builds on work done through the PRO ACT project, which among others focused on creating resilience to food shocks because of the impact of climate change.

“So, this new programme looks at making food systems more inclusive, economically viable, enhancing the social and environmental sustainability of food systems and increasing government capacity to pro-actively respond to food crisis,” she said. 

She also called on implementing partners to take note of other opportunities in the region including the rich biodiversity and local knowledge while engaging communities not forgetting the women and youth for the project to drive innovation and equitable food systems.

The three-year project that ends in August 2026 will address barriers to food security and promote resilient food production systems across all nine districts in Karamoja: Targeting at least 16,000 households as direct beneficiaries and 80,000 people as indirect beneficiaries.

Some of the guests who graced the event.

Other implementing partners on the project include the Office of the Prime Minister, other line ministries, departments and agencies civil society organisations and the private sector.

Leveraging reach on the ground

Commenting on the initiative, the Deputy Country Representative from the World Food Program (WFP), Prior Marcus said through the project, WFP will leverage on their extensive reach on the ground to reach and support communities in Karamoja in managing the risks and shocks.

Some of the Karamoja leaders who attended the event. (Courtesy Photos)

“This will involve implementing anticipatory warning measures to mitigate the scarcity of water, promoting awareness of agriculture insurance as a risk transfer mechanism to mitigate the impact of drought which significantly affects agriculture productivity in the region,” Prior said.

Some of the Karamoja leaders who graced the event.

Welcoming the project, the permanent secretary in the agriculture ministry, Maj. Gen. (rtd) David Kasura Kyomukama, who was represented by under-secretary Ronald Gyagenda Segawa, said the project will also build on gains made by three ongoing projects supported by FAO which are fostering sustainability and resilience of food production systems in Karamoja, integrating climate resilience into agricultural and pastoral production in Uganda, through a farmer/Agro-pastoralist field school approach and climate resilient livelihood opportunities for women economic empowerment project in Karamoja and West Nile regions.

He added that the new project will complement the Government of Uganda's efforts of the Parish Development Model (PDM) as a vehicle for organising and delivering public and private programme interventions for wealth creation at the Parish level as the lowest economic planning unit.