New Study Finds Worrying Climate Trend in Karamoja Over Last 35 Years (20.03.2017)

Released in Kampala today, the ‘Impacts of Climate Change on Food Security and Livelihoods in Karamoja’ found that temperatures have been rising in Karamoja over the last 35 years.

KAMPALA, Uganda, March 20, 2017 – A new study carried out by the Government of Uganda and its partners has found a new weather pattern that threatens to worsen food insecurity in the Karamoja region if no action is taken.

The study found that the average monthly rainfall in the region increased over the last 35 years and that the rainy season is now longer by two months. However, the rains – which now fall from around March to the end of the year – increasingly varied in volumes. This unpredictability was found to undermine agricultural production, thereby threatening to aggravate food insecurity in Karamoja.

Released in Kampala today, the ‘Impacts of Climate Change on Food Security and Livelihoods in Karamoja’ found that temperatures have been rising in Karamoja over the last 35 years.

The rising temperatures threaten to increase the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves in the region, therefore reducing availability of water for crops and animals. This too undermines food security.

A large majority of people in Karamoja, particularly women, were not aware that changes to the climate had been taking place over decades, the study states. However, most of the people that had perceived changes to the climate had not taken any action to adapt, typically because they did not know how to do so. Where trees were planted as an adaptation measure, the sale of charcoal and firewood were also a common measure that people took in response to climate-related crop failure.

Sponsored by the Swedish Government, the study was carried out in 2016 by the Ministry of Water and Environment with support from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the CGIAR Consortium’s Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security.

The Uganda Minister for Water and Environment, Sam Cheptoris, said today, “These are significant findings that threaten any hope for Uganda achieving its Vision 2040 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), if no immediate action is taken.”

Cheptoris said that his Ministry was already calling for a national and regional response, advocating for climate change sensitive approaches across all Government sectors, educating the population about climate change, and undertaking emissions profiles.

“Karamoja’s population is heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture, which is highly vulnerable to climate change,” said El Khidir Daloum, WFP Country Director for Uganda. “However, little has been known previously about the impacts of climate change on food security, and in particular, the ability of households in the region to adapt.”

WFP hopes that the findings and recommendations of the study will contribute to efforts toward appropriate adaptation measures while helping to identify policies that will safeguard the most vulnerable communities in Karamoja.

The study recommended that the Government and its partners increase investments in water harvesting and agroforestry schemes, education of the people, improved access to climate change information and the cultivation of drought-resistant crop varieties.

Within the Ministry of Water and Environment, the study was carried out by the Climate Change Department and the Uganda National Meteorological Authority.

1.6 million People affected in hunger crisis and other growing issues in the agricultural sector in Uganda!

The Republic of Uganda has certain areas that have been affected with the drought and the lacking rain, which has affected the yields and output of food. The areas that has been in dire straits since El-Nino is in Teso, Karamoja and West Nile; these areas are in different stages, but all as worrying as the 1.6 million people are in a crisis situation, while 26% of all population or 9.3 million people are in a stressed situation. Let’s take a deep breath and look at the numbers coming from the offices of Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. That has delivered this numbers and they are worrying.

“An estimated 1.6 million people (5% of the total population) are in Crisis situation. Those populations are found in Central 1 (0.58 million); Karamoja (0.12 million), Teso (0.2 million), East Central (0.38 million) and South Western (0.31 million) regions. This population has widening food consumption gaps with deteriorating dietary diversity and high malnutrition rates. They are found in Central 1 (0.58 million), Karamoja (0.12 million), Teso (0.2 million), East Central (0.38 million) and South Western (0.31 million) regions. The affected population includes the poorest households with poor food consumption score, low meal frequencies of up to 1 meal a day and low dietary diversity of less than 3 food groups. They have poor purchasing power as their incomes are low and no food stocks at household level. They are mainly coping through food assistance, remittances from relatives, begging, stealing food, wild food gathering and irreversible sale of productive assets to buy food. This population currently needs assistance to bridge the widening food consumption gaps and avert worsening malnutrition” (Office of the Prime Minister, 2017).

You can wonder what is the plan of the Republic when they know that the people have poor purchasing power, while the dwindling yields of the small-farming in these regions, doesn’t have the purchasing power of central regions. The trades and lacking production has equally hurt these citizens in Teso and Karamoja. Therefore the drought and lacking rain-fall has made the situation worse, as much as the rising refugee camps also getting aid and support from United Nation organization. While the republic have not galvanized agricultural structures and supported the citizens in dire need. This shows that the state has forgotten the reason for its existence. But there are more!

“An estimated 9.3 million people (26% of the total population) are experiencing Stressed situation. Those populations are in East Central (1.88 million); South Western (1.24 million), Teso (1.1 million) and West Nile (1.04 million) regions. This population has minimum adequate food consumption, employing insurance strategies and are unable to afford some essential non-food expenditures. The prolonged dry spell due to La Nina phenomenon coupled with increasing incidences of crop and livestock pests and diseases such as Cassava Brown Streak, Cassava Mosaic, maize stalk borer, striga and Banana Bacterial Wilt grossly affected production reducing the availability and accessibility of food for this population. The low crop and livestock production negatively impacted household food stocks leading to increased reliance on markets for food. Increasing demand from external markets has induced food price increases, making it difficult for poor households to access food from the market. Deteriorating water and pasture conditions mainly in the cattle corridor have resulted in migrations of livestock keepers, reduction in livestock production and increased spread of livestock diseases. The over whelming influx of refugees from South Sudan has increased demand for food and services in West Nile region” (Office of the Prime Minister, 2017).

So it is bad that 1.6 million people are lacking resource, possibility to produce food, but also that the state doesn’t deliver help or aid to the people. The other numbers of affected people, shows even more the systematic defaults of the state to achieve good production of agricultural output, as the problems with crops, livestock and diseases that shown with Cassava Brown Strak, Cassava Mosaic, Maize Stalk Borer, Sriga and Banana Bacterial Wilt. All of these should be worked on and nourished by the state, through agricultural programs that stops the spread of diseases. This should be important at this stage by not only the Office of the Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja should have used the institutions to find solutions to the added strains in the agricultural industries, together with one of his State Ministers.

That the Ministry of Agriculture and Hon. Ssempijja has been lacking guidance as well as funding, most been shown when the millions of affected citizens are the result of little or no plan on important industry as it is. Where so many work and could need state structures to help and guide. There are lacking instruments and use of government institutions to help out in the dire need. Even find out ways to stop the growing problems that makes such a big part of population affected. When a state has 26% of it affected by various issues and the State can find ways to sort it out, than that should be priority, not to buy airplanes and cut taxes for the MPs, but to fix the agricultural yields and water-irrigation that needs. Peace.

Reference:

A Publication of the Office of the Prime Minister – Department of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Management – “The Official Government of Uganda Inter- Ministerial/Agencies Monthly National Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning Bulletin

15th FEBRUARY to 15th MARCH 2017” Volume 01. Series No. 01. Issues No. 04.

Famine Hits Parts Of South Sudan (20.02.2017)

UN agencies warn that almost 5 million people urgently need food, agriculture and nutrition assistance.

JUBA, South Sudan, February 20, 2017 – War and a collapsing economy have left some 100,000 people facing starvation in parts of South Sudan where famine was declared today, three UN agencies warned. A further 1 million people are classified as being on the brink of famine.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) also warned that urgent action is needed to prevent more people from dying of hunger. If sustained and adequate assistance is delivered urgently, the hunger situation can be improved in the coming months and further suffering mitigated.

The total number of food insecure people is expected to rise to 5.5 million at the height of the lean season in July if nothing is done to curb the severity and spread of the food crisis.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) update released today by the government, the three agencies and other humanitarian partners, 4.9 million people – more than 40 percent of South Sudan’s population – are in need of urgent food, agriculture and nutrition assistance.

Unimpeded humanitarian access to everyone facing famine, or at risk of famine, is urgently needed to reverse the escalating catastrophe, the UN agencies urged. Further spread of famine can only be prevented if humanitarian assistance is scaled up and reaches the most vulnerable.

Famine is currently affecting parts of Unity State in the northern-central part of the country. A formal famine declaration means people have already started dying of hunger. The situation is the worst hunger catastrophe since fighting erupted more than three years ago.

“Famine has become a tragic reality in parts of South Sudan and our worst fears have been realised. Many families have exhausted every means they have to survive,” said FAO Representative in South Sudan Serge Tissot. “The people are predominantly farmers and war has disrupted agriculture. They’ve lost their livestock, even their farming tools. For months there has been a total reliance on whatever plants they can find and fish they can catch.”

Malnutrition is a major public health emergency, exacerbated by the widespread fighting, displacement, poor access to health services and low coverage of sanitation facilities. The IPC report estimates that 14 of the 23 assessed counties have global acute malnutrition (GAM) at or above the emergency threshold of 15 percent, with some areas as high as 42 percent.

“More than one million children are currently estimated to be acutely malnourished across South Sudan; over a quarter of a million children are already severely malnourished. If we do not reach these children with urgent aid many of them will die,” said Jeremy Hopkins, UNICEF Representative a.i in South Sudan. “We urge all parties to allow humanitarian organizations unrestricted access to the affected populations, so we can assist the most vulnerable and prevent yet another humanitarian catastrophe.”

“This famine is man-made. WFP and the entire humanitarian community have been trying with all our might to avoid this catastrophe, mounting a humanitarian response of a scale that quite frankly would have seemed impossible three years ago. But we have also warned that there is only so much that humanitarian assistance can achieve in the absence of meaningful peace and security, both for relief workers and the crisis-affected people they serve,” said WFP Country Director Joyce Luma. “We will continue doing everything we possibly can to hold off and reverse the spread of famine.”

Across the country, three years of conflict have severely undermined crop production and rural livelihoods. The upsurge in violence since July 2016 has further devastated food production, including in previously stable areas. Soaring inflation – up to 800 percent year-on-year – and market failure have also hit areas that traditionally rely on markets to meet food needs. Urban populations are also struggling to cope with massive price rises on basic food items.

FAO, UNICEF and WFP, with other partners, have conducted massive relief operations since the conflict began, and intensified those efforts throughout 2016 to mitigate the worst effects of the humanitarian crisis. In Northern Bahr El Ghazal state, among others, the IPC assessment team found that humanitarian relief had lessened the risk of famine there.

FAO has provided emergency livelihood kits to more than 2.3 million people to help them fish or plant vegetables. FAO has also vaccinated more than 6 million livestock such as goats and sheep to prevent further loss.

WFP continues to scale up its support in South Sudan as humanitarian needs increase, and plans to provide food and nutrition assistance to 4.1 million people through the hunger season in South Sudan this year. This includes lifesaving emergency food, cash and nutrition assistance for people displaced and affected by conflict, as well as community-based recovery or resilience programs and school meals.

In 2016, WFP reached a record 4 million people in South Sudan with food assistance — including cash assistance amounting to US$13.8 million, and more than 265,000 metric tons of food and nutrition supplies. It is the largest number of people assisted by WFP in South Sudan since independence, despite problems resulting from the challenging context.

UNICEF aims to treat 207,000 children for severe acute malnutrition in 2017. Working with over 40 partners and in close collaboration with WFP, UNICEF is supporting 620 outpatient therapeutic programme sites and about 50 inpatient therapeutic sites across the country to provide children with urgently needed treatment. Through a rapid response mechanism carried out jointly with WFP, UNICEF continues to reach communities in the most remote locations. These rapid response missions treat thousands of children for malnutrition as well as provide them with immunization services, safe water and sanitation which also prevents recurring malnutrition.

UNMISS:UN non-critical staff relocate (15.07.2016)

JUBA, South Sudan, July 15, 2016 – Due to the recent fighting in Juba and subsequent associated operational challenges, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and UN agencies, funds and programs in South Sudan have ordered the temporary relocation of some non-critical staff.  UNMISS and UN agencies, funds and programs will continue running critical operations to support the people of South Sudan, including protecting civilians and providing humanitarian assistance.

WFP Condemns Looting Of Food Warehouse In Juba, Still Assists Thousands Affected By Fighting (14.07.2016)

NEW YORK, United States of America, July 14, 2016 –  The World Food Programme is outraged by the looting of its main warehouse in Juba. Despite that serious setback, WFP staff have already been distributing vital food assistance to people displaced by the violence in the South Sudanese capital.

At WFP’s request, UNMISS peacekeepers did an assessment of the warehouse on the western edge of Juba on Wednesday and reported extensive looting of food. WFP staff have not yet been able to reach the warehouse to confirm the extent of the losses.

Before the fighting started at the end of last week, more than 4,500 metric tons of food was in the warehouse, enough to provide lifesaving food and nutrition assistance to about 220,000 people for a month. It also held trucks, generators and other relief items.

“WFP strongly condemns the theft of food intended for the poorest and most vulnerable people of South Sudan,” said WFP Deputy Regional Director Vernon Archibald.  “While the extent of the looting is not yet clear, we fear that the loss of these vital food supplies will severely hamper WFP’s ability to assist the tens of thousands of people who have fled their homes because of the violence.”

Regardless of the theft, Country Director Joyce Luma noted that WFP has already provided urgently needed food assistance to thousands of displaced people sheltering at UN peacekeeping bases, using stocks from a smaller warehouse in another part of town.

“In addition to providing food assistance to displace people in Juba, which is our normal role, WFP has also sheltered some 3,000 people in our main office compound, mostly women and children who fled for their lives as fighting raged around us,” said Luma.  “A new mother fled to our compound with her baby son just hours after giving birth.”

Luma added, “At the same time we cannot forget that the dire humanitarian crisis in other parts of South Sudan has not abated, and our teams throughout the country are still providing lifesaving support to millions of people who face severe hunger.”

The warehouse on the west side of Juba serves as WFP’s main logistical hub inside of South Sudan, and is used to supply WFP operations in the rest of the country.

“In past incidents of large-scale looting, WFP has been able to negotiate the return of looted food when those who took it recognized the importance of the humanitarian assistance that WFP provides,” Luma said.  “We hope that the parties responsible for this devastating loss will show their humanity and return the relief supplies so they can be used to assist thousands of innocent civilians who have been caught up in this brutal conflict.”

Don Museveni says “I would never accept these foreigners to give me orders about Uganda”; Time to cut the direct donor assistance to the government budget of Uganda and after that let Don Museveni eat alone!

“I wouldn’t ask these foreigners, but I would never accept these foreigners to give me orders about Uganda. Or about anything in the world! They got their own countries to run. Let them go and run them. Uganda is ours. Nobody gives us orders here” – President Museveni at Kololo Independence Grounds Speech while celebrating the “Double Victory” on 9^th April 2016.

Now that it is not long ago he told the world that Uganda was his playground and he could shot and kill opposition because they had no place in his country. From the same man and leader comes this. Let me ask the international community to react to violent behavior and the aggression this President shows his own county.

The racketeering of the NRM and their Executive has to stop at one point. That can happen when the funds dry up and the ammunition does come with the next boat. The American should stop with their alliance and their UPDF trainings. The Americans should do as they did with the MCC in Tanzania; suspend the projects and direct-donor aid to budget funding of the Ugandan Government.

The French should stop supporting the Government projects in Northern Uganda and cut their loans as they have promised to effect directly the RDC and the other loyal cronies of Northern Uganda. This does so the Capos of the Don get their monies and keeps eating. While the Japanese should stop supporting infrastructure projects together with the Chinese Foreign Ministry, while the CNOOC should terminate their contract with the Uganda Government. Total Oil firm of the French should suspend their operation until the government accept their blood-money. The Same with Heritage Oil for Britain so the UK Gov. should disband their direct government support and take away the incentive from UK to Uganda. The Norwegian Government should suspend the Oil for Development Program that have been a steady program since 2006. Because if you hurt it where it could become most important, then the Don Museveni might listen.

The European Union should to hurt the Foreign Exchange rate suspend the import of Robusta Coffee beans from Uganda, as the export of this is a major factor in the economic trade in the land-lock country. “A total of 271,941 bags of coffee valued at US$ 25.12 million were exported in February 2016 -Source UCDA report”. If you want to hit where it hurts, then you take away the foreign exchange and the foreign exports. This here could really hurt the government that does not want to have any interference or questions about their rule.

If the Donors and giving aid, would suspend or cut the services for the Peacekeepers, the same reaction that the Dutch did with the Burundian Peacekeepers in the AMISOM in Somalia. The same could be done by the American Government and EU as they are the major benefactors for the economic spending ground and facilitators for it.

It is not like I am for neo-colonialism, but when a totalitarian and gangster like Don Museveni complains about the US Mission questioning his oppressive behavior and European Union saying their opinion on the display of character showed during the Election and announcement of the results. Then it seems like he does not need any-more international legitimacy for his rule. Only their money and aid when it comes in handy too fuel money to a private plane, refurnishing the State Houses, buying new cars and more estates. Especially considering in FY 2013/2014 the donor assistance of the total budget was 21 % of it. Therefore the USAID, World Bank, IMF, DFID, European Commission, Irish Aid, NORAD and the other contributors should suspend that for the coming financial year of FY 2016/2017. To not hurt the citizens do this instead!

They should support the IDP camps and refugee camps in the Ugandan country through United Nations programs and organizations, build stronger relationship with NGOs in Uganda and forge good governance programs instead of supporting a government who is carrying out rigged election and embezzlement of government funds and international aid. Therefore progressive use of the tax-payers money from the Western Hemisphere, and if that is not working then, use it instead on local infrastructure projects to their own tax-payers.

Especially when a specialized report on Donor Aid to Ugandan Government says this:

“Budget support has not helped much in relation to cross sectoral dialogue. Some improvement was realized in education sector as dialogue with Ministry of Local Government and Ministry of Public Service improved. But this has not happened for the health sector” (…)”The power relations between bilaterals and Global Health Initiatives including PEPFER, Global Fund, GAVI, Stop Malaria etc shifted in favour of the latter who had no experience in the development of the budget support process and completely ignored to an apparent ineffectiveness” (…)”Budget support resulted in a greater commitment and quality of dialogue on PFM issues, especially after 2007 with the launch of FINMAP and JBSF. The influence of performance measures on sector dialogue declined from 2011/12, as the link with releases became less clear” (Joint Evaluation of Budget Support to Uganda – Final Report – 2015, P: 132).

This here proves the values of the Donor-Funding and the Budget Support from the International community to the Ugandan Government and the NRM-Regime. The NRM mafia under Don Museveni who says that the Ugandan authority do not want to have internal interference and foreign people questioning his playground. Therefore the authority and the Don want to rest things into peace he lets the people end up resting in peace. As he takes the Army and Police to detain the ones it needs and use draconian laws to oppress his own people.

Therefore with also the fraudulent election to keep the NRM mafia in order and also silence the opposition; as it even did yesterday the 9^th March 2016 with the Military Police taking over the Nakivubo Settlement Primary School so the “Victory Celebration” that was supposed to be held there with Lord Mayor Lukwago and FDC Leader Besigye. This happen while the Crime Preventers, NRM Diehards and the new MPs we’re celebrating at Kololo Independence Grounds while costing the 1, 5 billion shillings. The racket also carries to pay their own and let the kingpin eat the money alone. As he has done since 1986 and the donor have continued to fund the budget support and give Don Museveni money to do his bidding.

Therefore I ask the governments to question if they want to deliver more money the NRM Mafia who uses monies to the army and police, squander away State House money on funding his campaign and also rumors of AMISOM contingent. There are certain numbers on his spending on military is staggering over the years. In between 2011 and end of term 2016 the taxpayers and donor-funding the total Shs. 6.617 trillion to the Army, Police and Intelligence Agencies. Of this in MPS in February 2015 into the portfolio of sophisticated military equipment there was the extended use of Shs. 470 billion, alone that year.

So with that knowledge and knowing the international donors should consider some reactions as he does not accept any interference not internal and not external. The Playground might be for the moment him, the Don Museveni has spoken of killing demonstrating citizens and opposition. The harassment of the ones that question the power of the kingpin!

That is when the international donors in the powers of US Mission in Kampala and their Amb. Malac recently; and also when the European Union does state the fact that the election was not free and fair. Therefore the Don Museveni feels betrayed as this has been loyal men who have given money to his government and not question his power or rule. Because they needed him to do their dirty-laundry and also have a steady ally in the East Africa; as the US have a relationship with Ethiopia and also Kenya, but have a longer engagement with the Ugandan Government, and now accepting the harassment of opposition as a price for some form of stability.

While the other donor-funding is not questioning other than expressing some have cut funding over the $12 Million that was going to Northern Uganda Development Fund (NUDF) in the 2012, that went lost to through the Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi. Also the Anti-Gay Bill had their reactions from UK, Norway and Dutch who cut parts of their aid. So now it is the time again, as the oppression, election fraud and the man who want to be the Don and acts like the Don of Uganda. The Godfather of Uganda has spoken. He does not want to be inference. So since he does not wish to have interference the international donors and bilateral organizations should offer him a hand with that.

The International donors and bilateral organizations should certainly suspend their direct budget support to the Ugandan Government. As they don’t wish to have any interference and can handle it all on their own. The money should instead spend on the Multi-National Organizations working in Uganda, as the OCHA, UNICEF and WFP as they will submit and carry out quick resolved matters in Internal Displaced Camps and around the borders through their projects. Since that will not have any other government questioning their actions, then the other governments should not help to fund their actions. Simple rhetorical assessment that banish the 20 % power of the funds that Don Museveni has at his disposal and use; when outsiders are such a pain, then the pain should leave Don Museveni alone and not support him.

So the Donors and Bilateral organizations should cut their aid and give less power to Don Museveni and his NRM Mafia who spends and eats alone; while his government does not have money to build health care, roads, schools or the other necessities in the Ugandan Society. But not with Foreign tax-payers money, when they get used on the expensive cars, lavish lifestyle, foreign health care and private planes for the Godfather. There is time to take action as the gangster will act as Don and not as a Statesman. Henceforth, when a player does not want question, but accept your money and not accountable for them; and when the player squander the money and expect to get away with it. Then the Player should lose the ability to get the money from you. The Don Museveni have already had long enough time to deliver and used enough of donor-funds without showing progress. Time to cross out the donor-funding to direct budget support; then Don Museveni does not need to be questioned. As the international community will not have put a stake and being stakeholders for certain parts of the budget. But when they step away, then Don Museveni can be the kingpin and the gangster he want to be in military fatigue and do as he want in his playground, without opposition who should just stay home; and also without foreigners questioning him. Then he can rule alone with the capos, underbosses and then be grand Don Museveni. Peace.  

UN To Build The Resilience Of Communities In Karamoja (05.02.2016)

FAO, UNICEF and WFP launch joint resilience strategy to improve well-being of Karimojong

KAMPALA – Three United Nations agencies in Uganda are implementing a new multi-year resilience strategy to help transform the lives of vulnerable people in the Karamoja region of North Eastern Uganda.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) are combining their efforts to empower households and communities and to strengthen government capacities. Together, they will work to enable the people of Karamoja to recover, reorganize themselves and move forward after experiencing external stresses and disturbances, including droughts or floods.

The Joint Resilience Strategy for Karamoja Region will focus on four areas: diversifying livelihood strategies and intensifying production in order to increase household income and improve food security; improving basic social services to strengthen vulnerable households’ human capital; establishing predictable safety nets; and strengthening disaster risk management support.

The FAO Country Representative, Mr. Alhaji Jallow, said, “This is an extremely significant development. It is a commitment to collaboration, efficiency and demonstration of results in Karamoja.”  Working collectively, he said, the agencies will multiply the impact of their work, reduce transaction costs for communities and the government, and allow individual organizations to more powerfully use their experience in strengthening service delivery systems.

Karamoja is vulnerable to multiple stresses and shocks, including climatic, economic, conflict and health-related challenges. According to the regional Resilience Analysis Unit, the main shocks and stresses for Karamoja include erratic and uneven rainfall, livestock disease outbreaks, crop pests, high food prices, food insecurity, livestock losses, inadequate access to education and health services, and inadequate access to water and sanitation.

The Country Representative of UNICEF, Ms. Aida Girma, said, “This collaboration will strengthen basic services for children and women that will increase their resilience to shocks and help to keep them alive, healthy, in school and protected.” She also said that building household resilience cannot be sustained unless the overall system to deliver the services is strengthened.

The acting WFP Country Director, Mr Michael Dunford, said, “While Karamoja continues to face significant socio-economic challenges, partly due to climate change, opportunities for development have never been more ripe. With increased security, reduced poverty levels and a renewed commitment by the government, partners can achieve more through enhanced collaboration.”

Each of the three agencies has more than 20 years’ experience working with communities in Karamoja. Together, they represent 90 percent of the United Nations’ activities in the region.

About FAO

FAO leads international efforts to defeat hunger. It helps countries to modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices and ensure good nutrition for all. FAO focuses special attention on developing rural areas, home to 70 percent of the world’s poor and hungry people. For more information visit: www.fao.orgor follow FAO on Twitter @FAOnews

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org or follow UNICEF on Facebook and Twitter.

About WFP

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries. Follow WFP on Twitter @wfp_media @wfp_africa