Government is set to begin distributing emergency food relief to hunger-affected households in Karamoja within days after President Yoweri Museveni approved the release of Shs45 billion to address the worsening food crisis in the sub-region.
State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Relief and Refugees Lillian Aber told Nile Post that preparations for the intervention have been completed, with the first deliveries expected to target districts where hunger-related deaths have already been reported before expanding to other affected areas.
The intervention follows months of prolonged drought that has severely affected food production, leaving thousands of households without adequate food. Government has confirmed that at least 16 hunger-related deaths have been recorded in the region.
Aber said the government has involved the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Uganda Prisons Service to speed up the supply of maize flour (posho) and beans from their farms, following President Museveni’s directive.
"We have put in place a plan to ensure food is delivered to Karamoja as soon as possible. The priority is the areas where deaths have already been registered, but we are also considering neighbouring districts facing similar conditions," Aber said.
The relief programme was discussed during a ministerial meeting chaired by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, with participation from ministers responsible for Karamoja Affairs, Internal Affairs and Disaster Preparedness.
Besides Karamoja, the government plans to extend support to neighbouring districts including Agago, Kitgum, Katakwi and Otuke, where communities have also experienced prolonged dry conditions and food shortages.
According to Aber, the relief supplies will be delivered directly to parishes, where sub-county chiefs and parish leaders will oversee distribution to identified beneficiaries.
Each household is expected to receive 20 kilogrammes of maize flour and 10 kilogrammes of beans, with beneficiary numbers determined using household data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).
Aber urged beneficiaries not to sell the relief food, saying the supplies are intended to support families during the current food shortage.
"We don't need people selling this food. It is meant to support households. In previous interventions, some people sold the food, which created challenges for families. We want every household to use it for its intended purpose," she said.
She added that Members of Parliament from affected areas, local government leaders and UPDF personnel deployed in Karamoja will monitor the distribution process to ensure the relief reaches the intended beneficiaries.
Aber said the government expects the exercise to be completed within two weeks, with multiple trucks scheduled to deliver supplies simultaneously across the affected districts.
She further explained that although a Cabinet proposal had recommended approximately Shs49.9 billion for the intervention, Cabinet left the final decision on funding to President Museveni, who approved Shs45 billion.
The emergency response comes amid growing concerns over the impact of prolonged drought in Karamoja, where poor harvests, depleted food reserves and worsening weather conditions have increased pressure on vulnerable households.
