World Food Program to support Uganda end hunger

Jul 20, 2017

Uganda has to give priority to zero hunger to realize its Vision 2040 and NDP II

 

The World Food Program (WFP) has pledged its support towards Uganda, to end hunger in the country for sustainable food supply.

The support is in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 of the United Nations (UN) to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

"Our focus is to end hunger in the world, and Uganda has potential to make this dream of zero hunger come true because 76 percent of Uganda's National Development Plan (NDP) II, is aligned to SDGs," El Khider Daloum the WFP country Director said.

He made the remarks at Parliament, during a courtesy visit to Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah.

Daloum had been invited by the Parliamentary forum on food security for which Oulanyah is one of the pioneer founders.

According to El Khider Daloum, Uganda has to give priority to zero hunger to realize its Vision 2040 and NDP II.

Early this year, the country was hit by food crisis especially in the areas of the East, West and Northern Uganda as a result of drought which left many homes with no food to feed their families.

Vincent Sempijja, the Agriculture Minister said the number of Ugandans in need of food relief had increased from 1.3 million people to 1.5m.

Daloum said WFP would help Uganda in curbing hunger and related problems such as malnutrition among children, which is a result of hunger.

He also indicated that WFP would continue extending food aid, responding to refugee crisis and empowering smaller holder farmers to deal with hunger in the country.

"We want to help build the capacity of small holder farmers by strengthening the associations of these farmers for improved food security in Uganda," Daloum said.

On his part, Oulanyah said it is regrettable for a country like Uganda which he said is a food basket in the East African Region suffers from hunger.

He commended WFP for its assistance in empowering Uganda fight food insecurity, saying there is need to build capacity for farmers in agricultural practices.

"Uganda as a country has been feeding many but because of hunger, there is limited food supply. People are selling their food even before harvesting, leaving farmers with nothing to eat. Your intervention and guidance will help a great deal; you are the experts on this," Oulanyah said.

After its interaction with Oulanyah, WFP had an engagement with the MPs on the parliamentary forum on food security on hunger management, where MPs called for improved agricultural skills to empower farmers.

Abbas Agaba, the chairperson of the forum, also Kitagwenda County MP, said they had partnered with WFP to end hunger in the country.

"We need to invest in food production, skills development for agriculture and also supply our people with fertilizers," Richard Oseku, the Kibale County MP added.

MPs noted that there is need for Uganda to take advantage of its fertile soils and good weather to promote agriculture which is the backbone of the country's economy. 

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});