Vulnerable elderly residents and child-headed families in Nabilatuk and Nakapiripirit districts have begun receiving direct cash transfers of Shs250,000 alongside emergency relief food to combat a worsening famine and associated health complications in the Karamoja sub-region.
The financial intervention, spearheaded by international humanitarian organization Action Against Hunger (AAH) as part of a UGX 276,000-per-beneficiary rapid drought emergency response, targets over 500 destitute individuals who lack family support systems.
According to Mr. Ben Lokiru, the LC5 Chairperson for Nabilatuk District, recent community death reports linked to the ongoing food crisis have predominantly impacted the elderly and households headed by children.
‘The current situation that the elders find themselves in is worrying. As a district, we didn’t have this budget, but now that humanitarian agencies have come to our rescue, these elders and child-headed families will have a sense of respite,’ Mr. Lokiru said.
He noted that widespread climate shocks-characterized by prolonged dry spells-left hundreds of acres of gardens scorched across the sub-region.
Alongside the cash payouts meant for food purchases and urgent medical care, the central government has dispatched direct relief food to the affected communities.
Nabilatuk Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr. Linos Lotem Tumkori, confirmed that beneficiary households are receiving an initial ration of 20 kilograms of maize flour (posho) and 10 kilograms of beans, with additional relief supplies currently being budgeted.
‘The current situation is not the best, but we are happy to have a government that cares for its people and has created a peaceful environment for humanitarian organizations to operate,’ Mr. Tumkori said. ‘As civil servants, we expect those taking care of the elders to use this money strictly for their welfare and to seek urgent medical attention where needed.’
For many recipients, the relief comes at a critical moment. Ms. Grace Sagal, a 78-year-old resident of Kakomongole Sub-county in Nakapiripirit District, shared that she had gone four consecutive days without a proper meal prior to receiving the funds.
‘This year, we had countable days of rainfall, which destroyed our crops,’ Ms. Sagal explained. ‘I am confident this money and the government food will push me and my grandchildren through the coming days. We are now fairly cushioned from the severe crisis for a while.’
Widespread crisis across Karamoja
The interventions in Nabilatuk and Nakapiripirit reflect a broader humanitarian crisis affecting all nine districts of the Karamoja sub-region.
According to a recent analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)-of which the Government of Uganda is a partner-an estimated 473,000 people in Karamoja are currently experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or worse).
Consecutive seasons of failed rainfall, rising food prices, and localized insecurity have severely depleted household food reserves, pushing acute malnutrition rates among children and vulnerable adults to alarming levels across the region. Humanitarian agencies and local government leaders continue to call for sustained, long-term interventions to build community resilience against recurring climate shocks.