Nabbanja Flags Off Emergency Food Relief for Karamoja

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has launched an emergency food relief operation for vulnerable households in Uganda’s Karamoja sub-region, following a directive from President Yoweri Museveni. The intervention comes amid a worsening hunger crisis that local authorities say has caused at least 19 deaths after prolonged drought damaged food production and depleted household stocks.

According to the report, the Office of the Prime Minister will distribute 9 million kilogrammes of food over two months across Karamoja’s nine districts. Nabbanja said each beneficiary household is expected to receive 20 kilogrammes of maize flour and 10 kilogrammes of beans, with supplies delivered to parishes rather than sub-counties to reduce transport barriers. She warned local officials against diverting relief items and instructed district leaders to supervise distribution closely.

The food is being supplied by the National Enterprise Corporation, the commercial arm of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces. Nabbanja said government turned to NEC after private suppliers offered prices she considered too high. State Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Sam Engola said inter-agency coordination enabled a quick response, while also calling for longer-term measures such as irrigation dams and food storage facilities. State Minister for Karamoja Affairs Esther Anyakun welcomed the response, and NEC’s Maj Gen James Mugira said the supplies were produced on UPDF farms.

Nile Post also cites local leaders and residents who say the rations may be exhausted quickly because many households are large. Some have urged government to add community feeding centres for children, older people and other vulnerable groups. The crisis highlights Karamoja’s recurring exposure to drought, food insecurity and limited resilience infrastructure.