Uganda: Drought in Uganda's Karamoja Region - Hunger Peaks As El Niño Arrives

As drought and failed rains drive up hunger in Uganda's driest region, Karamoja, here's how WFP and Ugandan authorities are building local resilience. The granary at Paulina Awii's homestead in Uganda's Kotido District is raised on stilts to keep out rats. By early June, it was empty. Awii planted sorghum in February, but the rains came early, stopped, and returned too weak to sustain a crop. By May, the rain had stopped altogether, leaving her thin, yellow plants that turned to dry stalks by July. "This year is the worst compared to others," Awii says. "By now, people would be eating food. There is too much sunshine. There is no rain." A World Food Programme (WFP) rapid assessment found over 600,000 people in Karamoja are food insecure, nearly half the region's population, linked to El Niño weather. WFP and Ugandan authorities launched early action initiatives in May, delivering food, nutrition support, and resilience-building to 110,000 vulnerable people, including extra aid for elderly and hardest-hit districts like Kotido and Kaabong. By July, the drought deepened, and assistance was extended to hundreds of thousands more. Kotido District was already facing crisis-level hunger and malnutrition before the dry season peaked in June. Families like Awii’s, who did not receive early support, survived on a single meal a day. Her youngest child, Margaret, was diagnosed with moderate-acute malnutrition. Kotido’s Chief Administrative Officer, Daniel Ochoro, noted food scarcity and unaffordable food. Kaabong District also reported failed crops, with families surviving on one meal a day. In July, Uganda declared a drought, launching a six-month emergency response targeting 300,000 households, distributing maize flour and beans across nine districts. WFP prevented and treated acute malnutrition in three hardest-hit districts, reaching 30,000 people with monthly cash support for nutritious foods. Additionally, WFP provided daily hot school meals to 221,000 schoolchildren and one-off take-home rations during school holidays. Beyond immediate assistance, WFP and partners implemented programs in 86 villages to teach drought-tolerant crops like orange-fleshed sweet potatoes and iron-rich beans, along with water-retention and soil-restoration techniques. However, these initiatives only cover a fraction of Karamoja’s population. Awii’s daughter Margaret was referred to a health facility and enrolled in WFP’s malnutrition treatment program. She gained weight, showing improvement in her malnutrition screening. Ugandan authorities forecast El Niño conditions could bring above-normal rainfall from September to December, increasing the risk of floods, landslides, and disease. Awii is preparing for the next harvest but faces uncertainty. WFP’s interventions in Karamoja are supported by multiple governments and philanthropic partners.