Elephants destroy crops, spark fears of hunger crisis in Abim district
ABIM, July 30, 2025 – – A herd of elephants from Kidepo Valley National Park has ravaged farmlands in Abim Subcounty, Abim district in the Karamoja Sub-region, triggering fears of an impending hunger crisis among the poor residents.
The incident occurred on Monday night, with the elephants trampling and consuming crops including millet, sorghum, cassava, and bananas. The most severely affected parishes are Gili-gili, Adwal Central, Onunga, Kal, and Oyima.
The destruction has left the community in despair and urgently in need of relief assistance.
“We heard them coming, a sound like the earth itself was shaking,” said John Omwony, a local resident. “The whole community came out, banging drums and pots, shouting, but the elephants paid no mind. They just walked through our future and ate it.”
He added, “The community is still trying to come to terms with the extent of the damage. The elephants seemed to have targeted the most valuable crops, leaving farmers with nothing to harvest. The loss isn’t just economic, it’s deeply emotional. People worked hard to cultivate that land to feed their families.”
This latest incident has reignited longstanding frustrations among communities living near the national park. Many residents accuse the Uganda Wildlife Authority [UWA] of neglecting their repeated calls for intervention to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
“We’ll report it, as we always do,” said Dick Otto, LC3 Chairperson for Abim Subcounty. “But we expect the same response: silence. They tell us Kidepo is a national treasure, but for those of us living in its shadow, it’s a constant, hungry neighbour that destroys our lives without consequence.”
Jimmy Abura, another local resident, echoed these sentiments. “We feel abandoned. Authorities seem more interested in protecting wildlife than protecting us. That neglect has left many wondering how we’ll survive without our crops.”
However, there may be hope on the horizon. UWA is reportedly planning to construct an electric fence around Kidepo National Park in a bid to safeguard both wildlife and neighbouring communities.
According to Richard Muhabwe, Chief Warden of Kidepo National Park, the proposed fence aims to foster peaceful coexistence between humans and animals, while reducing crop destruction and potential conflict.
As residents of Adwal parish and other affected areas assess the full extent of the damage, they face the grim reality of food insecurity and a growing sense of abandonment by the very institutions charged with managing the park and its wildlife.
Their message to UWA is clear: take action, before it’s too late.
https://thecooperator.news/hunger-looms-as-hippos-invade-and-destroy-crops-in-masindi-villages/
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