Kotido Drought Leaves 15 Dead as Hunger Crisis Worsens

[Eronda]

Kotido district authorities say at least 15 people have died from suspected hunger-related illnesses following a prolonged drought that destroyed crops and left thousands of households facing acute food shortages.

Officials say the deaths have been recorded since June in several sub-counties, including Napumpum, Longaroe, Maru and Rengen, as the food crisis deepens across the district.

Kotido district has a population of about 219,700 people, with authorities estimating that more than 45,600 households have been severely affected by the prolonged dry spell.

Kotido chief administrative officer (CAO) Emmanuel Oyuku said reports from sub-county authorities indicate that at least 15 people have died from hunger-related causes.

“The figures are alarming, and this calls for urgent action to address and fight the hunger crisis,” Oyuku said.

He urged local leaders, development partners and communities to adopt better food storage practices, noting that many households sell most of their harvest immediately after the growing season, leaving them vulnerable when crops fail.

According to Oyuku, the district has recorded relatively good harvests in recent years, but many farmers sold their produce on the assumption that government or humanitarian agencies would provide relief whenever food shortages arose.

“The mindset must change. Communities should keep food reserves instead of selling everything and relying on well-wishers during periods of hunger,” he said.

District chairperson Paul Lote Komol described the situation as a humanitarian emergency that has crippled livelihoods across the district and appealed to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to urgently provide food assistance before more lives are lost.

“The communities can no longer fend for themselves and deaths linked to hunger have already started emerging. We appeal to the Office of the Prime Minister to intervene before the situation gets out of hand,” Lote said.

He said the drought had wiped out virtually all food crops, leaving little hope for a second planting season because many families had exhausted both their resources and physical strength.

Lote also urged households to preserve part of their harvest instead of selling it immediately after harvesting. However, farmers defended the practice, saying crop sales are often their only reliable source of income.

Robert Iriama, a farmer from Panyangara sub-county, said families sell produce to pay school fees, meet medical expenses and cater for other household needs.

Kotido district agricultural officer Robert Kennedy Okuda said rainfall during both the March–May season and the current growing season was significantly below normal, resulting in widespread crop failure.

According to district assessments, about 87 per cent of crops were lost, translating into an estimated economic loss of about Shs 56 billion.

The crisis comes as the wider Karamoja sub-region continues to grapple with severe food insecurity following prolonged drought.

According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis conducted between March and April 2026, about 32 per cent of Karamoja’s population was classified under IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) as of May 2026, while a further 41,000 people, representing about three per cent of the population, were in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency).
Source: Observer