World Food Programme (Rome)
29 July 2003
press release
Nairobi — Amidst reports of continuing attacks against civilians in Northern and Eastern Uganda, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that the region is facing the worst humanitarian crisis in years.
Over one million people - half of them children - are now displaced in Uganda as a result of the protracted insurgency of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Since June 2002, fighting has intensified and expanded beyond the traditional areas of conflict in northern Uganda (Gulu, Kitgum and Pader districts) to strike Lira, Apac, Soroti, Katakwi, Kumi and Kotido districts.
WFP today appealed for US$ 54 million to provide life-saving food aid to more than 1.6 million people, including internally displaced (820,000), drought victims (655,000) and refugees (147,000). Some 100,000 tonnes of food are urgently required to feed these populations from August 2003 to March 2004.
"Food aid needs have increased tremendously. WFP hopes to feed more that 820,000 displaced people, compared to 520,000 at the same time last year," said WFP's Deputy Country Director for Uganda, Edward Kallon. "Malnutrition rates are also shockingly high, reaching 31.6 percent among children under five in Anaka camp, in Gulu District."
Increasing insecurity and the consequent disruption of economic activities have severely hampered people's capacity to produce or buy food. Displaced populations are now almost totally dependent on humanitarian assistance for survival. WFP's ability to deliver food aid is also affected by the prevailing violence, as major roads outside Gulu, Kitgum and Pader municipalities remain highly insecure and inaccessible without military escort.
The abduction of children by the LRA is on the rise, especially in Gulu district. From June 2002 to June 2003, 8,400 children were abducted by the LRA rebels compared to 100 during the same period in the previous year.
Fear of LRA abductions, killings and looting are also affecting land preparation and cultivation throughout northern Uganda.
This is the second planting season to be seriously disrupted by fighting. Malnutrition rates are already well above the level considered indicative of a nutritional crisis, with global acute malnutrition among children below five varying between 18.1 percent in Pabbo camp and 31.6 percent in Anaka camp in Gulu District. In the drought affected areas, in Karamoja region, malnutrition rates are equally worrying from 16.7 percent in Moroto to 26.9 percent in Kotido.
"We are urging donors to pledge contributions urgently and prevent further hunger and malnutrition," said Kallon. "We will run out of food by September unless new donations come forward immediately."
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