Emergency Food & Nutrition for Karamoja Families

Imagine a mother looking into an empty food store, knowing that there is nothing left to prepare for her children. Imagine a child going to school hungry because the family's harvest failed. This is becoming a painful reality for many families across Karamoja.

Karamoja is experiencing a serious food crisis driven by prolonged dry conditions, failed and poorly distributed rains, crop losses, high food prices and deep household poverty. FEWS NET estimates that crop losses in many areas have reached 50–70%, particularly affecting important crops such as sorghum, maize, beans and groundnuts.

The crisis is especially dangerous for children. IPC estimates that 122,100 children under five could need treatment for acute malnutrition during 2026–2027, with Kaabong and Kotido already classified at Critical levels of acute malnutrition.

Families that once depended on their own harvests are increasingly being forced to purchase food from markets, even when they have little or no income. Poor households often have very few livestock and limited opportunities to earn money. As food stocks disappear, families may resort to harmful coping strategies such as selling productive assets, increasing charcoal and firewood sales, or taking on debt.

This is not simply a food shortage. It is a threat to children's health, education, dignity and future.

We therefore make a humble appeal to donors around the world:

Please help us reach vulnerable children and families with emergency food and nutritional support.

A small donation can make a meaningful difference. Your generosity can help provide food to a hungry family, support nutrition for vulnerable children and give parents the strength to keep caring for their families.

You can be the reason a child eats today.

You can be the reason a family does not lose hope.

You can be part of saving lives in Karamoja.

Please give whatever you can and help us bring hope to families facing hunger.

Donate today and help save a life.

Karamoja Hunger Crisis: Your Support Can Save a Life

Across Karamoja in northeastern Uganda, families are facing a severe hunger crisis after prolonged drought, erratic rainfall and widespread crop failure. Recent assessments show that approximately 473,000 people were facing Crisis-level food insecurity or worse, including about 41,000 people in Emergency conditions.

The situation has become especially painful for poor families who depend almost entirely on agriculture and livestock. Poorly distributed and below-average rainfall has caused estimated crop losses of 50–70% in many areas, leaving households with little food to harvest or store.

Many families have already exhausted their food stocks and are struggling to afford food from markets. Poor households also have very few livestock, meaning they cannot rely on milk or livestock sales to fill the gap. FEWS NET expects Crisis-level food insecurity to persist across Karamoja because of poor rainfall, limited income opportunities and declining household food availability.

Children are among those at greatest risk. IPC estimates indicate that approximately 122,100 children aged 6–59 months may experience acute malnutrition between March 2026 and February 2027, including around 30,600 expected severe cases.

We humbly appeal to compassionate donors, partners and well-wishers to stand with the people of Karamoja at this critical moment.

Your donation can help provide emergency food, nutritional support and essential assistance to vulnerable families. Every contribution, no matter how small, can help put food on a child's plate, support a struggling family and protect a life.

Please do not wait until hunger becomes tragedy. Help us reach families before it is too late.

Donate today. Save a life. Give hope to a family in Karamoja.

Together, we can help families survive this crisis and begin rebuilding their lives.