The Bishop of the Church of Uganda’s North Karamoja Diocese, Rt. Rev. Simon Akol Aisu, has warned that Karamoja is heading towards a severe food crisis after months of failed rainfall destroyed crops across the sub-region, leaving thousands of households without food.
Speaking during a pastoral visit to members of the Karamoja community in Kampala, Aisu said prolonged dry conditions since May have wiped out crops, with the situation expected to worsen over the coming months unless urgent intervention is undertaken.
“There has not been any rain right from May, June and July. These three months have completely cleared off what had been planted,” Aisu said.
He warned that although families are already struggling to find food, the situation is expected to deteriorate further, with food stocks projected to run out by August and a full-scale hunger crisis anticipated from September.
“We already have a projection that by August there is going to be little food, and beginning September there is going to be a big challenge of food in Karamoja,” he said.
The bishop said hunger has already claimed lives in parts of the region, particularly among children and the elderly, while desperation has fuelled rising insecurity as some residents resort to stealing food.
“Right now many families are suffering. There is no food. Some people have died. Children have died. The elders have died,” he said.
He added that increasing food shortages have led to cases of people breaking into homes in search of food.
“When a wrong person comes into the house, he can even kill just to take a cup of beans,” Aisu said.
The bishop called on the government to accelerate existing development programmes, particularly irrigation projects, to reduce the region’s dependence on unreliable rainfall.
“We would like the government to intervene and accelerate the programmes it already has so that the people of Karamoja benefit,” he said.
According to Aisu, expanding irrigation would enable farmers to continue producing food even during prolonged dry spells and help prevent recurring food shortages in the region.
The bishop also appealed to development partners and well-wishers to respond to what he described as the growing humanitarian needs in Karamoja before conditions worsen.
His concerns were echoed by Canon Calvin Okello, who heads the Urban Ministry under the North Karamoja Diocese, during the inaugural Karamoja Prayer Day held in Kampala.
Okello described the hunger situation as critical, saying recent visits to the region revealed widespread food shortages caused by failed rains.
“The status of hunger now in Karamoja is at its peak. People are dying. There is total lack of food,” he said.
He appealed to the government, development partners and the public to support relief efforts while praying for communities affected by the drought.
“We are requesting government and everyone to put Karamoja in prayer because the status of hunger is at its peak,” Okello said.
The prayer gathering brought together members of the Karamoja community living in Kampala and was organised to strengthen unity among Karamojong in the diaspora while drawing attention to the humanitarian challenges facing the sub-region.
Organisers said the event will become an annual gathering to promote community cohesion and mobilise support for Karamoja as church leaders continue to call for urgent action to avert a worsening food crisis.
