MPs call for shift from disaster relief to preparedness

What the report says

Members of Parliament in Uganda have urged government to move away from repeated emergency food aid and instead spend more on disaster preparedness, irrigation and other longer-term responses. The discussion followed a statement to Parliament by the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Sam Engola, during a plenary sitting chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, according to Watchdog Uganda.

Engola told lawmakers that relief food was being delivered to 313,987 households in 480 parishes across nine districts in Karamoja. The package is reported to include maize flour and beans, in response to severe food insecurity in the region. The article says around 473,000 people in Karamoja are facing crisis-level food insecurity or worse, with 41,000 in the emergency category.

Several MPs argued that relief alone is not sustainable. Jesca Ababiku, the Adjumani District Woman MP, called for renewed irrigation investment to help farmers cope with recurring drought. Faith Nakut, the Napak District Woman MP, welcomed direct food delivery but questioned how long such interventions can continue and warned that flooding could follow the drought if drainage is not addressed. Betty Aol Ocan, the Gulu City Woman MP, said government should restore food reserves, while Francis Adome Lorika of Moroto Municipality said some households in his area had not received aid and pressed for irrigation and planned resettlement from high-risk areas.

Engola also said government is preparing an El Niño contingency plan covering agriculture, transport, health and food security, alongside early warning messaging and enforcement of environmental laws in disaster-prone areas.