MOROTO, July 27, 2026 — The Government of Uganda has officially launched a major emergency food relief programme to support nearly 313,987 drought-stricken households across the Karamoja Sub-region situated in northeastern Uganda.
Coordinated through the Office of the Prime Minister [OPM] following Parliament’s approval of a Shs 45 billion intervention, the relief effort aims to address severe food shortages caused by a prolonged dry spell that significantly disrupted agricultural production across all nine districts of the region.
The relief operation was officially flagged off in Kotome Parish, Lodiko Subcounty, Kaabong District, where the first beneficiaries received 20kg of maize flour and 10kg of dry beans per household.
Kaabong Resident District Commissioner [RDC] Stephen Odong Latek said approximately 1.3 million kilogrammes of relief food are expected to arrive at the district warehouse ahead of the wider rollout.
In total, government plans to distribute 9,419,610 kilogrammes of relief food to 313,987 households across 480 parishes. The multi-phase exercise will run throughout July and August before expanding to the Central, Western and Southern clusters of the sub-region.
Speaking at the launch last week, the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Sam Engola, reaffirmed government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable communities.
“His Excellency the President of Uganda does not want to hear of anyone in Karamoja dying of hunger,” Engola said, adding that he would personally supervise the distribution exercise to ensure that no household is left behind.
Government officials also issued stern warnings against the diversion or sale of relief food. The Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs, John Baptist Lokii, urged beneficiaries to use the supplies responsibly to sustain their families throughout the crisis.
“I call upon the people of Karamoja to use this food sparingly because it is meant to sustain families through this difficult period. This food is not for sale, and anyone found selling it will face the full force of the law,” Lokii warned, while expressing gratitude to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for authorising the swift intervention.
To ensure a comprehensive response to the crisis, government is working closely with key international humanitarian partners and security agencies. State Minister Esther Anyakun said the intervention adopts a coordinated approach, with UNICEF managing feeding programmes for children under the age of five, the World Food Programme [WFP] overseeing school feeding initiatives, and the OPM coordinating direct household food distribution.
Security for the relief operation is being provided by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces [UPDF] in collaboration with the Uganda Police Force.
Maj Gen. Wilberforce Sserunkuma, Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, assured stakeholders that adequate security measures had been put in place.
“The UPDF will ensure security for all stakeholders involved in the relief distribution, provide escorts, and secure storage facilities. Together with the Uganda Police, we will ensure that food is distributed in an orderly manner without disruption,” Sserunkuma said.
While the emergency food relief programme is intended to address the immediate humanitarian needs of affected communities, Government leaders stressed that building long-term agricultural resilience remains the ultimate objective for Karamoja, a region that has long been vulnerable to erratic rainfall and poor crop yields.
Lokii announced that, ahead of the next planting season, the Government will provide farmers with early-maturing, disease-resistant and drought-tolerant seed varieties. The intervention will also include a regional livestock restocking programme aimed at rebuilding household assets and reducing chronic poverty.
The launch, attended by district chairpersons, Resident District Commissioners and security chiefs, underscored a united commitment by the Government and its partners to stabilise the Karamoja sub-region and safeguard vulnerable households from the effects of the ongoing drought.
As relief convoys continue to move across the region, authorities have appealed to local leaders and communities to support the transparent distribution of food to ensure that all intended beneficiaries receive assistance as prolonged drought continues to hit Karamoja, causing food insecurity
https://thecooperator.news/govt-flags-off-food-relief-to-drought-hit-karamoja/
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