Christians in Kampala on Saturday raised Shs20m in cash and four tonnes of maize flour in the first of many relief efforts for famine-ravaged families in Teso sub-region, Daily Monitor reports.
The food mobilisation happened during a special mass at St Charles Lwanga Church in Ntinda, a city suburb, presided over by Msgr John Kauta, the secretary-general of Uganda Episcopal Conference.
According to the Minister of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hilary Onek, more than 10 million Ugandans are struggling with hunger caused by prolonged droughts and out of this number, 5.5 million people are generally in serious urgent need of food to escape death.
Onek told Parliament two weeks ago that the number of those starving had risen from 1.3 million from January as the expected rains have not yet led to the increase in food supply yet.
It is from this report that Members of Parliament in April voted, calling for declaration of state of emergency.
While fulfilling the biblical mandate of feeding the hungry, Msgr Kauta, as quoted by the Daily Monitor, rebuked individuals who mock famine victims for resorting to feeding on termites and white ants, likening these to equivalent of grass-hoppers being a delicacy in the central and other regions of the country.
“Termites are good things to eat, but they are only eaten as dessert,” he said, adding: “You can never eat enough termites to fill your stomach and like nsenene (grass-hoppers), they are seasonal,” he said.
Mr Tom Okelotto, the chairman Iteso Welfare Association that organised the ecumenical service in Ntinda, told the newspaper they will be available over the next three weeks to receive food and cash donations from Good Samaritans.
“Whatever little you have, we shall receive to save lives of the people in need. Hunger in Teso is not about to end tomorrow because after this drought, we expect floods but are our people prepared?” he said.
He added that they will work with the government to identify areas in critical need and sensitise the affected people on how to avert hunger in future.
By Paul Dennis.
