Uganda: 3.6 Million Ugandans Face Acute Food Insecurity As Crisis Threatens to Worsen

What the report says

Uganda is facing a worsening food insecurity situation, with a 2026 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report estimating that about 3.6 million people are currently affected. The figure is projected to climb to 4.4 million between February and June 2027, according to the report cited by Nile Post and distributed by AllAfrica. The assessment covers conditions across 60 districts and highlights especially severe risks for refugees, refugee-hosting districts and communities in the Karamoja sub-region.

The report also says malnutrition remains a major concern. It projects that 465,900 children under five and 246,300 pregnant and breastfeeding women will need treatment for acute malnutrition between April 2026 and March 2027. Officials and humanitarian actors link the crisis to repeated climate shocks, lower farm production, crop and livestock pests and diseases, high food prices, and weak access to health care, water and sanitation, and social protection.

At the report launch, UN Resident Coordinator in Uganda Leonard Zulu urged urgent steps to protect vulnerable households and strengthen food systems. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja called for longer-term solutions that help communities produce more of their own food and reduce reliance on emergency aid. The Ministry of Agriculture said the assessment was carried out in August and September 2026.

The report was launched alongside a UN and partners appeal seeking US$50 million for response efforts in Karamoja and early interventions in other districts and refugee settlements. The planned support includes cash aid, agricultural inputs, livestock support, nutrition services, health care, water and sanitation, and preparedness measures.