NAPAK – Centenary Bank staff have donated relief items worth Shs 30 million to the communities of the Karamoja sub-region to help ease the ongoing hunger crisis in the different districts.
According to Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Acute Food Insecurity analysis, 41% of the population in Karamoja (518,000 people) were facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC AFI Phase 3 or above) between March and July 202
“It is quite unfortunate to witness the food shortage crisis that our communities are experiencing amidst other ongoing socio-economic issues like; inflation, climate change, and the Ebola outbreak,” said James Katamba Centenary Bank’s Eastern Regional Manager said.
The Napak Resident District Commissioner, Moses Barasa said Centenary Bank is among the 20 entities that have so far made food contributions during the Karamoja Food crisis.
According to a recent update by the World Food Programme, the total number of fatalities in 2022 caused by the current food insecurity crisis in Karamoja is 2,465 with most fatalities being children and mothers.
Meanwhile Napak District leaders are calling for more relief food from the government and well-wishers to complement the little produce from harvests. The call follows the poor harvest experienced in this planting season.
John Paul Kodet, the LCV Chairperson for Napak District says although the government and other well-wishers have donated relief food, people have continued to die because what they get is not enough forcing farmers to sell the produce.
Damiano Guilio Guzzetti, the Bishop of Moroto Catholic Diocese said it was painful to see people dying of hunger throughout the year without permanent solutions to end the disaster.