Source:  Church of Uganda

July 30, 2009

(UPDATE August 7: Since this article was posted on the AAC's website, Over $8,500 has been raised to help the starving people in Uganda! 100% of those monies were sent today directly to the Anglican Church of Uganda.  Please continue to give to this worthy cause. A notice will be posted on the AAC's website as soon as the aid reaches those in need.)

(UPDATE August 3: Read the most recent addition of Courage by clicking here. This issue of COURAGE, the occasional e-Newsletter for the Church of Uganda, describes the efforts of one Women's Fellowship in Kampala to respond to the famine crisis in Teso.)

The Anglican Church of Uganda is raising money to buy food and supplies for victims of famine in Northern Uganda. The report below comes from Madi-West Nile Diocese, a place where some are down to three meals a week.

Approximately 2 million people in Uganda are experiencing famine conditions right now. Thirteen districts across northern Uganda are affected including 5 in the West Nile region.

The first struck are the sick and elderly. Already at risk these people often become the first victims. It becomes even more troubling, when the children begin to be affected. This is a signal that the famine is striking the family cores.(At Left: People line up waiting for food to be delivered.)

There are reports that the males are abandoning their families to find food for themselves. The Yumbe district hospital has set up an emergency feeding clinic for children. They are reporting 20 new admissions/day, and getting worse.

With these new admissions and the support from government and NGO's minimal, the feeding station now reports they are running out of food.

Also of concern are basic medications. Medications for malaria are in critical supply, the hospital has run out, and the patient's have to find their own medication at local shops, which is unattainable by most. Medication for one person is about $9, which for a family that survives on $1/day, is impossible.

These are all predictable signs of famine onset. As the famine progresses, nutrition plummets, even in healthy individuals. They are less able to care for those around them and more people begin to feel the affects.

We need to stop this famine now. Something so simple as food, can keep a healthy person out of the critical stage. Once the person crosses from "at risk" to "critical" the cost of caring for them increases dramatically.

With the crops failing, also comes another problem... seeds for the coming year. With little or no harvest, there is nothing left over for planting. No planting will mean another season of famine, and people slip further into dependency. July and early August are the planting seasons for the November harvests, but no one is planting without rain or seeds.

The Archbishop of Uganda's Secretary for International Relations writes about the situation:

"Uganda is experiencing serious drought and famine in northeastern, northern, and northwestern Uganda. People have now started to die. The government says it can handle the situation, but that's what the government is supposed to say. And, if they could handle the situation, people should not have already started to die. 

We are seeking for funds for emergency relief for famine victims in Uganda. The hardest hit area is the Teso sub-region (Soroti, Kumi areas, if you're looking at a map) in eastern Uganda.

...We would request, something....anything that could help save lives in the immediate situation. When the crisis is over, we can begin to think about other development proposals that would help prevent such a serious crisis, even if drought comes again. There are micro-irrigation schemes, drought-resistant crops, etc. - all of these things can be explored. But, at the moment, what is needed immediately is food!"

The American Anglican Council is helping raise funds for this worthy cause. If you feel led, please click here or go to the donate portion of our website to give. Select "Uganda famine relief" as your donation's designation. 100% of what is given will then be sent on to the Anglican Church of Uganda and used to feed and assist starving people.