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Japan hands over $1 million food aid for Karamoja

Ambassador Fukuzawa made food offer at WFP offices in Kampala. COURTESY PHOTO

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Japanese Government has donated food aid worth 1 Million US Dollars to the people of Karamoja.

While speaking to journalists at the World Food Programme (WFP) Offices in Kampala, Japanese Ambassador Fukzawa Hidemoto said they had signed off one million dollars to help with the purchase of beans and maize flour.

Catherine  Ahimbisibwe, the Acting Commissioner for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees said WFP has so far transported up to 400 metric tonnes of food to the area.

She says that the WFP will use the money to procure the food, transport it, and distribute it to the people of Karamoja.

Karamoja experienced  two seasons of crop failures due to prolonged drought which  was accompanied by flooding. This prompted the government to start delivering food rations, an exercise that started in March.

To date over 2000 metric tonnes of maize and 1000metric tonnes of beans have been sent.

About half a million people are estimated to be food insecure in the region. Apart from the government and donors, recently the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) also delivered food to the area in addition to NGOs that have started food collection drives.

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