US provides Shs 77 billion to Uganda to fight food crisis

The US government has said that it has set aside about Shs 77 billion to help in the fight against food insecurity in Uganda.

This was announced by the U.S Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield during her visit to Uganda on Thursday.

"The United States is providing $20 million, subject to congressional approval, in new additional resources for Uganda through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)," she said.

This assistance according to the US will be channeled through international and national partners and civil society organisations to enhance local efforts in Uganda.

Uganda is one of the US existing "Feed the Future"partner country, to directly mitigate the impacts of growing food insecurity, which have been exacerbated by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

In a statement by the US embassy in Uganda, it was pointed out that a confluence of crises have pushed many Ugandans, particularly those in the Karamoja sub region and the northern parts of the country into hunger.

This is attributed to the food and fertiliser prices which are already high because of the Covid-19 pandemic and have soared  due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, putting families at risk.

"The new funding will help smallholder farmers adopt improved agricultural practices that increase productivity, reduce post harvest losses, and add value to their products. It will also boost agricultural production by expanding financing for fertiliser and improving its efficient use," Greenfield said.

She emphasised that this assistance will build on existing agriculture and value chain investments to support farmers, agro-businesses, and consumers mitigate the impact of the global food crisis.

Greenfield also met President Museveni at State House Entebbe where she delivered a message from President Joe Biden.

They held discussion on regional matters of security and more on the economic hardships occasioned by the Ukraine-Russian war.