{"id":2669,"date":"2026-07-28T10:23:39","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T10:23:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/28\/uganda-begins-emergency-food-handouts-after-19-die-from-hunger\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T10:23:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T10:23:39","slug":"uganda-begins-emergency-food-handouts-after-19-die-from-hunger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2669","title":{"rendered":"Uganda begins emergency food handouts after 19 die from hunger"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"50c1bb7c-99fb-4d82-b045-102340cd687a\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A Ugandan woman carries a back of grain on her head while watched by dignitaries\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/21b4a5f72cda8e63545a7c656551964538e140e9\/80_0_1695_1356\/master\/1695.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Food distribution under way at Potome primary school, Lodiko, watched by Sam Engola, Uganda\u2019s minister for disaster preparedness. <\/span> Photograph: Prime minister&#8217;s office, Uganda<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"50c1bb7c-99fb-4d82-b045-102340cd687a\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Food distribution under way at Potome primary school, Lodiko, watched by Sam Engola, Uganda\u2019s minister for disaster preparedness. <\/span> Photograph: Prime minister&#8217;s office, Uganda<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Uganda begins emergency food handouts after 19 die from hunger <\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Government move follows months of drought and crop failures in Karamoja, with 1.5m people facing malnutrition<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Uganda has launched <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/OPMUganda\/status\/2079977034479026390\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">emergency food relief distribution<\/a> after <a href=\"https:\/\/nilepost.co.ug\/news\/357339\/photos-karamoja-hunger-death-toll-rises-to-19\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">at least 19 deaths<\/a> from hunger were reported in an area of prolonged drought in the east of the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">A crisis has been building in the Karamoja region of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/uganda\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Uganda<\/a> as crops have failed without the season\u2019s expected rains, leaving the region\u2019s 1.5 million people facing acute food shortages and rising malnutrition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/fews.net\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Famine Early Warning Systems Network<\/a> (Fews Net), a global mapping network designed to raise the alert on food security, reported the situation had <a href=\"https:\/\/fews.net\/east-africa\/uganda\/food-security-outlook\/june-2026\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">deteriorated to a crisis<\/a>across Karamoja.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In the first large-scale operation of its kind organised by the Ugandan government after the funding void left by aid cuts, authorities announced plans to distribute 9,400 tonnes of relief food over the next two months. The supplies were procured using a 45bn-shilling (\u00a39m) emergency funding allocation, approved by parliament.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Sam Engola, minister for disaster preparedness and refugees, launched the aid distribution efforts at a primary school in Lodiko sub-county in Kaabong district on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThe president does not want to hear of anyone in Karamoja dying of hunger. I am here to supervise the distribution of this food to the end. I will ensure that everyone receives food. No one will be left behind,\u201d Engola said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"c11d8407-41b0-46c7-a64a-82b26734a3f7\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Three Ugandan politicians talking in a cluster\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/fe3988bd655fd1189777391986427eca87c83023\/329_25_1506_1205\/master\/1506.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"356.0590969455511\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"c11d8407-41b0-46c7-a64a-82b26734a3f7\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Sam Engola, with the labour minister, Davinia Esther Anyakun, and minister for Karamoja affairs, John Baptist Lokii, at a school in Lodiki. <\/span> Photograph: Prime minister&#8217;s office, Uganda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Karamoja is experiencing its most severe dry spell in years. Farmers have lost crops since the last meaningful rainfall was recorded in April \u2013 the beginning of the planting season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Angelina Nakiru, a 21-year-old mother of two in Rupa, about 5 miles from Moroto town in Karamoja, said she was struggling to feed her children after all her crops failed. Now she goes early each morning to join other women at a small-scale grinding mill where machines are used to crush rock into powder to wash out gold-bearing ore. The pay is meagre.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThe work is dusty and exhausting, but it is the only way I can earn money to buy a cup of maize and beans to feed the children,\u201d Nakiru said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cIf I don\u2019t, the children will sleep hungry. Other days when I fail to get the meagre income from the mill, we go to bed on empty stomachs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThe situation is terrible. People are starving and dying due to hunger. The government must come to the rescue of the people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Health facilities report treating hundreds of children for severe malnutrition. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ipcinfo.org\/fileadmin\/user_upload\/ipcinfo\/docs\/IPC_Uganda_Karamoja_Acute_Food_Insecurity_Acute_Malnutrition_Mar2026_Feb2027_Report.pdf\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">nutrition report<\/a> published in June found nearly half of the population in Karamoja\u2019s Kaabong and Kotido districts in a crisis situation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Experts attribute the region\u2019s recurring food insecurity and vulnerability to climate crisis shocks, environmental degradation such as deforestation and overgrazing, as well as poverty and low agricultural productivity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In 2022, a devastating hunger crisis claimed <a href=\"https:\/\/uhrc.ug\/download\/25th-uhrc-annual-report\/?wpdmdl=1946&amp;refresh=659d912b77abe1704825131\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">more than 2,200 lives<\/a>, according to figures from Uganda\u2019s human rights commission body.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">While emergency food aid is expected to provide short-term relief, the government said it remained committed to implementing long-term remedial measures with the recently approved Karamoja regional development plan, which is intended to strengthen communities\u2019 resilience to drought.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">John Baptist Lokii, minister for Karamoja, said: \u201cThe government will provide drought-resistant, disease-resistant and early-maturing seeds ahead of the next planting season.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Agnes Kirabo, executive directorof Uganda\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/fra.ug\/executive-director\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Food Rights Alliance (FRA)<\/a>, said the government was taking the lead on distribution as a necessity as much as a policy choice as the landscape of humanitarian aid had changed dramatically.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Following significant funding cuts, most notably from USAID, which previously had an annual budget of about $42.8bn (\u00a332.bn), agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) have been forced to drastically scale back their aid.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In Uganda, the WFP has phased out food assistance for 63% of the refugee population, cutting off more than 1 million people from aid, and reducing rations to just 663,000 recipients.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"7b9636b9-97b2-470b-9b2b-e804d8d54757\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"People carrying sacks of grain on their heads as others look on\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/4e0cc76cebab716feb8c87c1d717485f04f3894f\/39_0_1695_1356\/master\/1695.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"356\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"7b9636b9-97b2-470b-9b2b-e804d8d54757\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Karamoja residents collecting food at the distribution centre. <\/span> Photograph: PM&#8217;s office, Uganda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThis transition should not be viewed solely as a reaction to aid cuts, but also as a positive shift towards nationally owned, sustainable development. Government leadership is a constructive move, provided it is part of a long-term strategy to establish durable national systems,\u201d said Kirabo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cEmergency food distribution is a life-saving measure, not a permanent solution. To break this cycle, we must address the root causes of food insecurity through structural reforms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The FRA, Kirabo said, wanted access to food to be made a fundamental human right and the government to turn its attention to water infrastructure and climate resilience. \u201cKaramoja possesses adequate rainfall and water routes to achieve food self-sufficiency, but requires the political will to strategically invest in water infrastructure for production,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cUltimately, the Karamoja hunger crisis is a governance crisis. The government\u2019s leadership in this emergency is welcome, but it must be matched by the political will to implement the systemic changes required to permanently protect the people of Karamoja and Uganda from predictable, preventable hunger.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/global-development\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Global development<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/series\/aid-cuts\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Aid cuts<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/uganda\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Uganda<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/hunger\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Hunger<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/yoweri-museveni\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Yoweri Museveni<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/environment\/drought\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Drought<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/environment\/water\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Water<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Uganda%20begins%20emergency%20food%20handouts%20after%2019%20die%20from%20hunger%20&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/jul\/27\/uganda-begins-emergency-food-handouts-after-19-die-from-hunger?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fglobal-development%2F2026%2Fjul%2F27%2Fuganda-begins-emergency-food-handouts-after-19-die-from-hunger&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=global-development\/2026\/jul\/27\/uganda-begins-emergency-food-handouts-after-19-die-from-hunger\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Food distribution under way at Potome primary school, Lodiko, watched by Sam Engola, Uganda\u2019s minister for disaster preparedness. Photograph: Prime minister&#8217;s office, Uganda View image in fullscreen Food distribution under &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2669\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2669"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2669\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}