Two people have been confirmed to have died of hunger in Otuke district. The deceased have been identified as Pilda Mary Okii and Joana Akello, both elderly women and residents of Acoke and Owangokado villages respectively in Okwongo Town Council.
An assessment done by Lira NGO Forum shows that approximately 40,000 people in Otuke are in dire need of food relief support resulting from the prolonged dry spell, which affected their crops including maize, sorghum, and beans in the first season.
Apparently, families are selling whatever they have to buy food. John Bosco Olwit Dagama, the LC III Chairperson of Okwongo Town Council confirmed the deaths, saying that four more people were on the verge of starvation because they have nothing to eat. He explains that he is overwhelmed by the huge number of people seeking for food relief from his home.
He believes that the number of deaths will keep increasing despite the return of rain because it will about three months to harvest fast maturing crops.
Tom Okwir, 84, a resident of Olilim sub-county is moving from one household to another looking for what to eat. During a visit by subcounty officials and journalists at his village, Okwir who has developed swellings on both limbs was found eating soup at his friend’s home about a mile away from his home.
Gifty Kia, a resident of Orupu Parish in Adwari sub-county, says that feeding an extended family is a huge burden especially where there are many children because they cannot survive on a cup of beans per day. She says she has since reduced her family to one meal a day in order to preserve what to eat on the next day.
Tony Okiba, a resident of Ogor sub-county, says that they are surviving on food bought expensively from the market because all the crops have dried up from the garden.
For Susan Abeja, selling the pigeon peas she harvested last year is her only solution to acquire salt and food she needs to accompany the sources. With only about 3kgs left, Abeja is worried that she might be the next person to die from hunger.
Other leaders are worried that the ugly pictures of people dying of hunger in Karamoja may soon emerge in the district. Francis Abola, the Otuke District LC V Chairperson, says that several people especially those with under lying medical conditions like HIV and AIDs have already died from hunger.
Abola, who believes that the number of deaths exceeds the two confirmed cases, says most relatives of the deceased shy away from disclosing the cause of death for fear of being castigated by the public although some have reported to his office.
“I must assure you that hunger has killed several people but most relatives fear disclosing that such and such a person died from hunger because they consider it shameful because the public would say what did you do as a human being.”
The district chairperson says they are waiting for support from the government or well- wishers because the district does not have any funds for disasters.
Last month, Simon Peter Akileng, the Otuke Chief Administrative Officer wrote to the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) informing him of famine in the district resulting from natural calamities and asked for relief support.
“The purpose of this letter is to inform you about this misfortune and more importantly to request your immediate intervention to rescue the people of Otuke through food supply to avert the situation in the meantime.” The letter reads.
However, the district is yet to receive a response from the OPM in regard to relief support.
But Julius Acon Bua, the Otuke County Member of parliament has advised farmers to find alternative sources of food instead of waiting on the government, saying even if the OPM delivers food, whatever they will bring will not be enough for the people since that government is not capable of feeding all Ugandans.
A coalition of Civil Society and Non- Governmental Organizations under the Lira NGO forum are mobilizing relief support for the people of Otuke District. The group is seeking to raise 20 tons of maize flour, 10 tons of beans and 5000 liters of cooking oil and high energy biscuits. Patrick Odongo, the Programs Manager Lango Youth Development Network says the relief food will be generated from donor communities and people of good will across the country.
Since 2019 to date, Otuke bordering Karamoja sub region has experienced unreliable rainfall punctuated with drought, flood, and hailstorm which caused insufficient agricultural production. There have also been plagues of desert locusts, armyworms and raids by Karamojong cattle rustlers which have left little to eat.
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