Why is Uganda experiencing a food crisis?
Uganda is facing a severe food crisis due to the worst drought in decades, with 1.5 million people at risk of malnutrition and at least 19 deaths reported. The government has initiated emergency food distribution as crop losses reach up to 70 percent in some regions.
Why it matters
The crisis underscores the devastating impact of climate change on food security in East Africa and the urgent need for humanitarian aid and climate adaptation strategies.
At least 19 people have died of starvation in the country and 1.5 million are at risk of malnutrition, experts warn.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Family members plant groundnuts - or peanuts - in Kachinga, Karamoja region, Uganda [File: Badru Katumba/AFP] By Priyanka Shankar Published On 29 Jul 2026 29 Jul 2026 A hunger crisis is brewing in Uganda as the country battles its worst drought in decades.
Crops across the country have failed, and families are losing loved ones as the crisis deepens across the country’s northeastern region and the wider Horn of Africa. At least 19 people have starved to death in the Karamoja region, where 1.5 million people are at risk of malnutrition, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net), an organisation which signals the alarm on food security.
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