Church of Uganda, ACT Alliance donate 68 tonnes of food to Karamoja

KOTIDO: At least 2,000 families in Karamoja will have meals for some days following a donation by the Church of Uganda and ACT Alliance.
 
As part of efforts to respond to the looming hunger crisis in Karamoja sub-region, Church of Uganda in partnership with ACT Alliance, on Monday flagged off distribution of relief food to support the people of Kotido and Kaabong districts which form part of North Karamoja Diocese.

The flag off of the 50 tonnes of maize flour, 18 tonnes of beans, silver fish and salt was presided over by the Rt Rev Joseph Abura, the Bishop of Karamoja Diocese, who doubles as the Dean of the Province of Church of Uganda in the presence of Rt Rev James Nasak, the Bishop of North Karamoja, staff of Church of Uganda’s Provincial Secretariat, members of ACT Alliance, local leaders and the Diocesan leadership at the Diocesan office in Kotido.

While flagging off the relief items, Bishop Abura commended the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Dr Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, for championing the mobilization of resources for purchasing the items to be supplied and those that are already being supplied in other areas of Karamoja.

Bishop Abura of Karamoja Diocese and other officials flagging off food distribution on Monday.

 
“This food came as a result of the wide voice of the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda to the people of Uganda and partners when we realized through reports from the district, Parliament and social media that hunger had affected our people. What I have flagged off today on his behalf was donated by ACT Alliance through the Church of Uganda.” Bishop Abura said.
 
He added: “We have the other food which was contributed by the Dioceses of Church of Uganda through Retired Bishop Johnson Gakumba whom the Archbishop requested to stand in for him. This food has also arrived. It includes 40 tonnes of maize flour to Karamoja Diocese in Moroto and 40 tonnes of food and other items in Kotido.”
 
Bishop Abura further said: “I want to tell the world, particularly Ugandans, that the harvest here this year is very poor. We are expecting more hungry people next year. Come May, June, July and August 2023, there is going to be more hunger here because the army worm completely finished the first crops.”

Bishop Nasak commended ACT Alliance for responding to the hunger crisis saying it was a huge relief to people of Karamoja.
 
“This food which has just come now has come to relieve our people who suffered from hunger. We lost people to hunger in big numbers. The report from Kotido district indicates that there are 1,680 people who died of hunger. During our pastoral work to the manyattas, we find children so malnourished, people very hungry, very thin and others dying in their houses and compounds,” Bishop Nasak said.

 

He attributed the rising number of street children to the hunger in the area.

“When you go to these manyattas, you find that a number of children who lack what to eat have fled to towns. Like in Kotido Municipality, there are a lot of street children and the criminality has also gone high because they are stealing food and money from people,” Bishop Nasak said.

 Rev. Andrew Agaba, the Director of Household and Community Transformation (HCT), said the response came as a result of news about Karamoja which compelled the Directorate under the Archbishop’s stewardship to make an appeal to ACT Alliance for Rapid Response Funds which they fulfilled with  $100,000 (about sh370m).
He further said Kotido and Kaabong were selected because they are at the extreme end of Karamoja and are normally left out in many response programmes.
 
The relief items will go to 2,000 households and will target elderly and child headed families, malnourished children, pregnant women and lactating mothers, people with special needs including those living with HIV and Tuberculosis and women. 
 
The beneficiary sub-counties include; Nampupum, Lokwakiar and Loletia in Kotido District while in Kaboong District, the beneficiary sub-counties are; IK, Kaboong East and Kaabong West, Loyoro and Lodiko.

According to Rev. Agaba, each household will receive 25kg of posho, 8kg of beans, 1kg salt and 3kg of silver fish only for households with malnourished children. Food distribution will continue up to Friday.