The intervention comes as the hunger crisis in the region continues to deepen, with the reported death toll from starvation rising to 19 over the past week, according to local leaders and officials, increasing pressure on the government to deliver emergency assistance quickly.
In a July 20, 2026 statement, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said it will distribute 9,419,610 kilograms of relief food, comprising maize flour and dry beans, to 313,987 households across 480 parishes in the nine districts of Karamoja.
Under the programme, each beneficiary household is expected to receive 20 kilograms of maize flour (posho) and 10 kilograms of dry beans.
"The Government of Uganda has today launched an emergency food relief intervention for the Karamoja sub-region to support communities affected by the prolonged dry spell that has disrupted agricultural production, depleted household food stocks, and increased the risk of food insecurity," the statement said.
The OPM said the exercise is being coordinated in partnership with the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), the Uganda Prisons Service, the Uganda Police Force and local governments to ensure efficient and transparent distribution.
The distribution was officially flagged off at the NEC headquarters in Bugolobi, Kampala, by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.
"The Government stands with the people of Karamoja and will continue to mobilise the necessary resources to support their recovery and build resilience against future shocks," Nabbanja said.
Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Sam Engola appealed for calm and transparency throughout the exercise.
"We appeal to political, religious and community leaders, civil society organisations and beneficiaries to support the exercise by promoting transparency, accountability and peaceful distribution," Engola said.
Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister Alex Kakooza said the government would continue monitoring the food security situation in Karamoja and neighbouring districts while implementing both emergency and long-term interventions.
"The Office of the Prime Minister will continue to closely monitor the food security situation in Karamoja and neighbouring districts while coordinating both immediate humanitarian assistance and long-term resilience interventions. We are also engaging our development partners to strengthen efforts to protect lives and livelihoods, guided by the recently approved Karamoja Regional Development Plan," Kakooza said.
The food relief programme follows weeks of growing concern from local leaders, who warned that the prolonged dry spell had devastated crops, depleted household food stocks and left many families struggling to survive. Some leaders had urged the government to fast-track the intervention, saying delays were worsening the humanitarian situation.
Government says the emergency food distribution forms part of broader efforts to strengthen resilience against recurrent droughts and climate-related shocks in the Karamoja sub-region.