Leaders in Karamoja are calling on the government and development partners to invest heavily in water infrastructure and irrigation systems, arguing this is the only sustainable way to address the region's persistent hunger crisis. The appeal comes as communities continue to face severe food shortages, with some households resorting to eating wild fruits and other unconventional food sources to survive. The call was made during the launch of a Shs6.7 billion food relief campaign by Compassion International Uganda in Kotido District, targeting 11,047 vulnerable households across the region.
The relief campaign, coordinated by the Pentecostal Assemblies of God, will provide immediate assistance to families struggling with food insecurity. According to the organisation, each beneficiary household will receive 55 kilogrammes of posho, 14 kilogrammes of beans and salt, with a second distribution scheduled after two weeks. Compassion International Uganda's Manager for Partnerships, Stella Situma, said the Shs6.7 billion required had been mobilised through Pentecostal churches and donors across the world, with the food to be distributed in two batches under 34 projects spread across the Karamoja sub-region.
However, local officials stressed that emergency relief alone cannot solve the region's underlying problems. Rev Desmy Amadi, coordinating the distribution exercise, said the intervention would help save lives but emphasised that Karamoja needs sustainable agricultural support to overcome recurrent food shortages. "This is a relief intervention, but long-term Karamoja needs water to support food production. Today, we have saved lives," Amadi said. Kotido District Woman MP Nuria Hasfa Teko urged the government and development partners to prioritise irrigation systems and agricultural machinery to enable communities to increase food production. She added that mechanisation would be necessary to support extensive agricultural production.
Peter Lomilo, a Kotido District councillor, described the severity of the crisis, saying the food shortage had left many households struggling to feed their children, with malnutrition increasingly affecting vulnerable families. He noted that people have resorted to eating wild fruits and other desperate measures to survive. Kotido District Chairperson Lotee Paul Komo welcomed the intervention, saying the food supplies would provide temporary relief and estimated the supplies would support struggling families for the next two months.
Karamoja experiences prolonged dry spells and recurring food insecurity, with limited access to reliable water sources making communities particularly vulnerable to rainfall fluctuations. These conditions have reinforced calls from local leaders for investment in irrigation and other climate-resilient farming interventions to break the cycle of hunger that affects the region.