AGAGO, UGANDA — Agago District Local Government has officially declared a hunger emergency following prolonged drought, crop failure, and worsening food shortages that local leaders warn could develop into one of the district’s worst humanitarian crises in recent history
Speaking during a press briefing, Agago District LCV Chairman Wilson Otto issued an urgent appeal to the Government of Uganda, humanitarian agencies, development partners, religious institutions, and well-wishers to intervene immediately before more lives are lost.
Addressing Members of Parliament, government officials, representatives of humanitarian organizations, the United Nations, the World Food Programme, members of the media, and community leaders, Otto described the current situation as devastating.
“Our district is facing a humanitarian emergency. Prolonged sunshine, scorching temperatures, and the failure of rains have destroyed crops across almost the entire district. What should have been a season of harvest has become a season of despair,” he said.
85 Percent of Crops Destroyed
According to the district leadership, approximately 85 percent of gardens across Agago have been destroyed after months of extreme heat and failed rainfall.
Farmers have reportedly been forced to slash down completely dried crops because nothing remains to harvest.
Staple food crops including maize, beans, millet, sorghum, simsim, cassava, and vegetables have all been severely affected, leaving many households without food or income.
Otto said the destruction has wiped out not only this season’s harvest but also the seeds that farmers had planted, making recovery even more difficult.
Hunger-Related Deaths and Rising Malnutrition
The district also reported alarming health statistics collected from its 39 health facilities.
According to Otto, 12 people have died in circumstances linked to hunger, while more than 351 people have been registered with malnutrition, particularly among children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, elderly persons, and other vulnerable groups.
Health workers are also reporting increasing cases of severe weight loss, dehydration, weakness, and hunger-related illnesses.
District leaders fear these numbers could rise sharply over the next four months if emergency assistance is not provided.
Schools Recording Declining Attendance
The hunger crisis is also beginning to affect education.
Otto revealed that school attendance has already fallen by 15 percent during July, with many children dropping out because parents can no longer provide meals or support them while at school.
He warned that several schools may be forced to close earlier than expected if the situation continues.
“Hungry children cannot concentrate in class,” Otto said, adding that many families are now prioritizing survival over education.
Families Running Out of Food
The district chairman painted a grim picture of daily life for many households.
He said families have exhausted food reserves from the previous harvest, with parents sacrificing their own meals so their children can eat.
However, even those sacrifices are no longer sufficient.
Some households reportedly survive on only a cup of thin porridge each day, while others rely on wild fruits such as mangoes or boiled pawpaw. Many families now go to bed without any meal at all.
“There are mothers surviving on porridge. Others are cooking pawpaw. Others are surviving on mangoes, and even those food sources are becoming scarce,” Otto said.
Appeal to Government and Humanitarian Agencies
Otto called upon the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry responsible for Disaster Preparedness, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, humanitarian organizations, faith-based institutions, and development partners to immediately provide emergency assistance.
Among the district’s urgent needs are:
• Emergency food relief.
• Therapeutic and supplementary nutrition for vulnerable groups.
• Clean water support.
• Fast-growing and drought-resistant seeds.
• Irrigation interventions.
• Recovery support for affected farmers.
He stressed that many farmers cannot afford to purchase new seeds after losing both their crops and planting materials during the drought.
District Already Wrote to the Office of the Prime Minister
Otto disclosed that Agago District had already written to the Office of the Prime Minister earlier this month requesting emergency assistance.
According to him, the appeal has reached the Permanent Secretary, the Minister responsible for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, and Members of Parliament representing the district.
He urged the government to respond without delay, noting that the district has more than 88,000 households, many of which have been affected by the food crisis.
He added that even families with money are struggling because there is little food available for purchase after widespread crop failure.
“Hunger Knows No Politics”
The district chairman concluded by appealing for national unity in responding to the crisis.
He pledged to continue engaging humanitarian agencies, including the World Food Programme, the United Nations, and other relief organizations, in search of assistance for affected communities.
“Hunger knows no politics. Hunger knows no tribe. Hunger demands humanity. This is the time for compassion. This is the time for action. This is the time to save lives,” Otto said.
As Agago enters what officials fear could be several more months of food shortages, district leaders are urging immediate intervention to prevent further deaths, worsening malnutrition, school dropouts, and deeper poverty across the district.