Uganda Members of Parliament have given an overwhelming support to a motion pressing for a state of emergency.
Politicians from the regions claim there have already been a number of deaths due to the food shortages.
MPS want the government to move faster to provide help and food handouts, especially as some communities are getting just one meal a day.
“Way back in 2016 i had a meeting with the ministry of disaster preparedness, we were trying to give them indicators that by 2017 there would be this famine in the region because there was no total harvest during the year and it’s come to pass, people are dying, i personally visited two graves,” said Esther Anyakun, Nakapiripirit MP, Uganda.
But MPs also believe declaring a state of emergency will help attract more foreign aid.
“Some organizations have tried to develop projects around food security, resilient issues, on how to help people to deal with this kind of drought but for a weather focus like when there is no rain, it’s beyond their own making. I took the seed that the government gave me and my people planted but they told me God has refused to give us water,” said Esther Anyakun, Nakapiripirit MP, Uganda.
Uganda’s Minister of Disaster Preparedness Hillary Onek says more and more people are affected by the drought – numbers have increased by two million since January – and that there’s not enough money for relief work.
China has responded by donating more than 5000 tonnes of rice. The far north and north east of the East African country are the worst affected.
Uganda is traditionally regarded as the bread basket for the entire region.
But it’s been hit hard by months of drought. And MPs hope calls to have a state of emergency declared will attract more relief aid to affected communities.
