Related Articles
Beneficiaries seated
By Mathew Longok Abekson
A total of 200 families in Napak district have benefited from relief food aid yesterday given to them by Joy Christian School, a Christian founded Institution based in Kumi district.
Among the items distributed were a bar of soap, a sachet of salt and 10kgs of fine posho to each beneficiary.
According to Moses Ssemakula the director Joy Christian school, they came to Karamoja following the media reports that circulated about the hunger crisis that left many families struggling to find what to eat.
“After watching stories about what was going on in Karamoja, we had to to contact a few individuals whom we knew in the region and that’s how we came to help the communities, he said.”
The 200 families in Napak district were selected among the chapels of Kalokengel, Lomiroo, Lomariamong, Lokoreto, Nasinyonoit, Nawoikorot, Kautakou, Lopei, Lokupoi and Kailikong in Lotome Sub County.
“We are targeting the elderly because usually when situations are tough, it’s the them and children who suffer most, Semakula said.”
Lowanyang Paulo the chief Catechist for Lokoreto Catholic Parish in Kangole Town council who was the head of the selection team thanked Joy Christian for intervening the situation and encouraged them to continue helping in other areas of the region since the crisis hit it as a whole.
“The food is going to help the starving families because most of these people used to struggle to have a meal in a day, Lowanyang said.”
A mother receiving a bar of soap, Posho & Salt
As many families in Karamoja start to harvest the little that survived the harsh climate, the situation seems to be normalising due to both governments’ intervention and also that of development partners.
In early July, government has earmarked Shs 135 billion to avert the hunger crisis in the Karamoja sub-region. This was announced by the prime minister Robinah Nabbanja in parliament during a plenary sitting after the decision being passed by the cabinet.
According to IPC, 518,000 people (over 40 percent of the population) in Karamoja Sub-region are facing high levels of food insecurity. This is up from 361,000 people (30 percent) in 2021.
