Hunger killed 2,000 people in Uganda last year - report

KAMPALA, Uganda

The 2022 Human Rights and Freedoms report released last week is littered with hundreds of deaths registered in Karamoja sub region due to starvation and hunger-associated illness in 2022.

At 1676 deaths, Kotido district registered the highest number of starvation and hunger related deaths, followed by Kaabong at 225 deaths, 166 deaths were registered in Moroto while Napak hunger death toll stood at 135 deaths in 2022. Only eight deaths were recorded in Karenga district.

According to the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) report, the hunger in the region was as a result of long dry spells that led to acute famine, killing at least 2,207 people.

“According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and Acute Food Insecurity (AFI), 41 per cent of the population in Karamoja were facing high levels of food insecurity between March and July 2022,” the report reads in part.

"The long dry spell in the region was partly due to state failure to anticipate, reduce and rapidly respond to disaster risks. Climate change is a grave threat to people worldwide if the government fails to take reasonable and rational measures to safeguard against it,” the report further stated.