(Photo by Badru KATUMBA / AFP) [Tags: photography, drought, Uganda]
Ugandan authorities have revealed that at least 16 people have died from starvation after a prolonged drought destroyed local farmers' agricultural yields entirely. [Tags: Uganda, drought, famine, agriculture]
On Saturday, 11 Jul 2026 GMT+7, the Ugandan government reported that at least 16 people have died from hunger in the past few weeks in the Karamoja region in the northeast of the country, due to a prolonged drought. [Tags: Uganda, Karamoja, drought, famine, death]
Farmers reported losing their entire agricultural harvest because the area has had very little or no rainfall since April, which marks the start of the planting season. [Tags: agriculture, drought, rainfall, crop loss]
Experts warn that the recurring food shortages in this region stem from climate change, insufficient rainfall, deforestation, overgrazing that damages grasslands, and pest infestations—all factors that combine to increase community vulnerability to hunger. [Tags: food security, climate change, deforestation, overgrazing, pests]
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja stated that thousands of households face food insecurity as the drought has completely destroyed crops. Her office will seek cabinet approval on Monday to procure additional relief supplies for the affected areas. [Tags: Prime Minister, relief efforts, food insecurity]
Images show large fields of maize, millet, and soybeans in Karamoja standing dried and withered, dashing the hopes of local people for a bountiful harvest. [Tags: agriculture, drought impact, crop failure]
Experts have called for improved weather forecasting, along with investments in irrigation systems and drought-resistant crops. [Tags: weather forecasting, irrigation, drought-resistant crops]
The semi-arid northeast of Uganda has faced similar severe food crises before. Human rights reports indicate that in 2022, over 2,200 people died from starvation and related illnesses in this region. [Tags: food crisis, northeast Uganda, deaths, human rights]
The worst aspect was that Henry Okello Oryem, then the foreign minister, called those who died from hunger “fools,” claiming Uganda has a favorable climate and fertile land, so people should be able to grow their own food. [Tags: government criticism, foreign minister, hunger deaths]
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Source: [Tags: source attribution]bbc [Tags: BBC, news source]