Da Dona
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
- 950
- 584
For some elderly residents of Agago District, a bag of posho, beans and cooking oil has become a lifeline after months of struggling to find food.
Last week, elderly men and women gathered at Lira-Palwo Sub-county and Agago District headquarters to receive relief from the Salvation Army. Some looked visibly weak and malnourished, while others were too weak to sit and rested on the grass as they waited.
The district experienced a prolonged dry spell between March and August, destroying crops and leaving many farming families without food or income.
Toolit said the situation reminds residents of the 1994 hunger crisis, when Agago was still part of Pader District.
Wilson Otto, the Agago District LC Chairman, said more than 18 people have died from malnutrition, while 351 people have been admitted to Health Centre IIIs and IVs across the district. He added that 307 malnourished children are being supported by Love One International.
The district estimates that more than 4,000 households of older persons are still in urgent need of food support.
Residents are now calling for longer-term solutions, including irrigation and support for drought-resistant crops. The district has encouraged every household to grow cassava and is promoting crops such as coffee and bananas.
The Salvation Army has so far supported 250 households, giving each household 25kg of maize flour, 10kg of beans and 3 litres of cooking oil.
For the affected families, the relief provides temporary relief, but the bigger challenge remains finding a lasting way to keep food on their tables when the rains fail.
Daily Monitor UG
Wilson Otto, the Agago District LC Chairman, said more than 18 people have died from malnutrition, while 351 people have been admitted to Health Centre IIIs and IVs across the district. He added that 307 malnourished children are being supported by Love One International.
The district estimates that more than 4,000 households of older persons are still in urgent need of food support.
Residents are now calling for longer-term solutions, including irrigation and support for drought-resistant crops. The district has encouraged every household to grow cassava and is promoting crops such as coffee and bananas.
The Salvation Army has so far supported 250 households, giving each household 25kg of maize flour, 10kg of beans and 3 litres of cooking oil.
For the affected families, the relief provides temporary relief, but the bigger challenge remains finding a lasting way to keep food on their tables when the rains fail.
Daily Monitor UG
