Sixteen starve to death in Uganda as drought kills crops
The Ugandan government says at least 16 people have died from hunger in recent weeks in the north-eastern region of Karamoja due to a prolonged drought. Farmers say they lost crops because the area received little or no rain since April, the beginning of the planting season. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja says thousands of families have been left without food as the dry spell has destroyed crops, and her office is to seek cabinet approval on Monday to buy more supplies for affected areas.
The government has started distributing emergency food aid. Large areas of maize, sorghum, and soybeans have withered. Experts warn the region's recurring shortages are caused by climate change, poor rainfall, deforestation, overgrazing, and crop pests. In 2022, more than 2,200 people died of starvation and related illnesses in north-east Uganda, according to a report by an official human rights body. The then-foreign minister, Henry Okello Oryem, called those who had died of hunger "idiots," arguing that Uganda had favourable climate and fertile land so people should be able to grow food for themselves.
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Uganda's north-eastern Karamoja region faces severe food shortages due to prolonged drought, impacting thousands of families. This recurring crisis
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