Jinja, Gulu, Kasese lead in food crisis, says study
An elderly woman receives relief food in Jinja District on April 9. Jinja, Gulu and Kasese have been named among districts hit by food insecurity due to the negative impacts of Covid-19. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- The findings further state that 31 per cent of the 459,493 population analysed in refugee settlements and 24 per cent of 995,355 population analysed in host communities are facing serious food insecurity and are in need of urgent action.
A study has named three districts of Jinja, Gulu, Kasese as the worst affected by food insecurity for the months leading to August due to the negative impacts of Covid-19 lockdown.
Nearly one in three people in the three districts struggled to find nutritious food on a regular basis according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis carried out in Kampala and other urban areas, Karamoja Sub-region and refugee settlements and host communities.
The analysis indicates that the effects on tourism, travel, events industry and the education sector greatly paralysed the economy.
“With these new findings, we now know, reliably, who the most food-insecure people are, where they are and what we can do to save their lives. Such information is critical before we take any decisions,” Mr Hilary Onek, the Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, said yesterday.
According to the analysis, it is projected that for the rest of the year, Gulu and Kasese will remain at crisis levels even when their markets are supplied with harvests.
Statistics
The findings further state that 31 per cent of the 459,493 population analysed in refugee settlements and 24 per cent of 995,355 population analysed in host communities are facing serious food insecurity and are in need of urgent action.
Ms Stella Ssengendo, the disaster risk financing coordinator at the Office of the Prime Minister, said 27 per cent of the 312,800 population analysed in Karamoja is facing acute food insecurity and are in the crisis stage and need urgent attention except for Karenga and Amudat districts.
Ms Ssengendo said in Karamoja, all districts had worrying levels of malnutrition among children with severe cases in Moroto and Napak districts.
Progress
Ms Priya Gujadhur, the FAO country deputy representative, said as part of the UN Uganda’s Emergency Appeal launched earlier this year, FAO has appealed for $7.8 m (Shs28.6b) for food security, nutrition and livelihood interventions.
