Alex Kakooza
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Ugandan government has confirmed that 16 people have died from causes associated with food shortages in the Karamoja sub-region, highlighting the worsening humanitarian situation caused by prolonged drought and widespread crop failure.
In a press statement issued on July 9, 2026, the Office of the Prime Minister said extended dry conditions have severely affected food production across Karamoja, leaving many households without enough to eat and increasing the need for urgent humanitarian assistance. The government extended its condolences to families who have lost loved ones as it intensified emergency relief efforts.
“The Government extends its deepest sympathies to the bereaved families and the affected communities,” said Alex Kakooza, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister. “The Government recognises the difficulties faced by Ugandans experiencing food shortages and is taking urgent measures to support the families most in need.”
Food insecurity rises
The deaths underscore the growing food insecurity in Karamoja, where failed harvests following months of inadequate rainfall have left thousands of families struggling to access sufficient food. According to recent food security assessments, hundreds of thousands of people across the sub-region are experiencing acute food insecurity, with many requiring immediate humanitarian support.
In response to the crisis, the government has begun distributing emergency food supplies to the hardest-hit communities. On July 8, authorities delivered 22 tonnes of relief food to Loduku and Loyoru sub-counties in Kaabong District. The consignment included 13 tonnes of maize flour and nine tonnes of beans intended to provide immediate assistance to vulnerable households.
Kakooza said the Office of the Prime Minister has already organized another consignment for immediate distribution to districts facing the greatest food shortages. These include Kaabong, Kotido, Amudat, Napak and Moroto, where communities have been particularly affected by the prolonged dry spell.
He added that the government is also planning a broader intervention to support the wider Karamoja sub-region and neighbouring districts. The Office of the Prime Minister is expected to seek Cabinet approval for the procurement of additional emergency food relief to expand assistance to affected populations.
Consignment of relief food
“The Office of the Prime Minister has also arranged for another consignment of relief food for immediate distribution to the most affected districts requiring urgent assistance,” Kakooza said.
The announcement comes amid increasing concern over the humanitarian impact of recurring droughts in Karamoja, a region that has long faced cycles of climate-related shocks, poverty and food insecurity. The latest dry conditions have once again disrupted agricultural production, reducing harvests and limiting food availability for many households.
Government officials say relief operations will continue while longer-term measures are considered to strengthen food security and help communities recover from the effects of the drought.
For the families mourning the 16 people who have died, however, the emergency has already taken a devastating toll. As relief food begins reaching affected districts, authorities hope the intervention will prevent further loss of life and provide immediate support to communities facing one of the region’s most severe food shortages in recent months.
History of hunger in Uganda
Uganda has endured repeated episodes of severe hunger over the decades, with the worst crises overwhelmingly concentrated in the semi-arid Karamoja sub-region, where erratic rainfall, prolonged drought, insecurity and limited agricultural production have combined to create recurring food emergencies.
However, the region’s worst recent famine occurred in 2022. A combination of prolonged drought, destructive desert locust invasions and persistent armed cattle rustling devastated livelihoods across Karamoja. Between February and July that year, more than 900 starvation deaths were reported.
The Uganda Human Rights Commission later estimated that the prolonged crisis ultimately claimed 2,207 lives linked to hunger, making it one of the deadliest food emergencies in the country’s recent history.
Uganda has experienced similar catastrophes before. In 2009, a severe regional drought, coupled with cross-border food trading and the effects of the global financial crisis, triggered widespread famine in several parts of the country.
Dozens of people reportedly died from starvation, particularly in the West Nile and Acholi sub-regions. Some children also lost their lives after consuming poisonous varieties of raw cassava as desperate families searched for anything edible.
Worst drought ever
The country’s most devastating historical famine occurred in 1980 in Karamoja. A prolonged drought, compounded by the collapse of civil order during a turbulent political period, created one of the worst humanitarian crises in Uganda’s history. The famine caused exceptionally high child mortality and dramatically increased crude death rates, leaving lasting scars on the region.
Although hunger has occasionally affected other parts of Uganda, Karamoja has remained the epicentre of the country’s food crises. Experts attribute this to recurring droughts, crop failures, insecurity, cattle raiding and chronic poverty, factors that continue to expose hundreds of thousands of people to the risk of famine whenever seasonal rains fail.
