Govt supplies food to avert hunger in Karamoja

By John Odyek

Government has dispatched 1200 metric tonnes of relief food including beans and posho to feed the people of Karamoja to cope with the hunger season.

Barbara Oundo Nekesa, state minister for Karamoja affairs Thursday told the Parliamentary committee on presidential affairs that Karamoja has been hit by harsh climatic conditions.

She added that the World Food Programme has also supplied Karamoja with over 4000 metric tonnes of relief items.

WFP and the Government are providing family rations of cereals, pulses, fortified cooking oil and blended foods to improve food consumption and reduce malnutrition.

They expect to reach an estimated 155,000 people by the end of the hunger season in September.

Nekesa appeared before the committee with other ministers from the Office of the Prime Minister to discuss the policy statement of the ministry. Karamoja falls under the Office of the Prime Minister.

“We are trying to arrest the extreme harsh conditions in Karamoja. We are continuously dispatching food. There is no water. We are building dams and food silos.

"We will provide weather and fast maturing seeds when the weather gets better,” Nekesa said.

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Residents of a manyatta home in Nawaikorot village in Napak village in Karamoja had appealed for urgent food relief. PHOTO/Eddie Ssejjoba

MPs express concern about starvation and malnutrition in Karamoja. They said government should do more to avert hunger and suffering in Karamoja. MPs also asked government to account for the distribution of cattle in Northern Uganda.

The committee chaired by Fred Mwesigye said for the last decade government has been distributing cattle to the Northern and Eastern Uganda and every year they budget funds for more cattle.

Christine Amongin Aporu, state minister for Teso said this year the Government has budget sh20b for Northern and Eastern Uganda regions to restocking.

Aporu explained that in the past some households had not received cattle. “The restocking will target all households. It will be a kick- start to enable households generate income for themselves,” Aporu said.