Hunger crisis, a harvest of 31yrs of intentional Agriculture sector destruction by M7

Hunger crisis, a harvest of 31yrs of intentional Agriculture sector destruction by M7

By David Vosh Ajuna Rurangaranga

 

HUNGER CRISIS; WHY GOVERNMENT MUST DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY !

Like never before,the World Food Program (WFP) in its December 2016 report revealed that 10.1million Ugandans were living in the jaws of a food crisis.

The number has since then continued to grow bigger than big.

1.6% of the above figure are those that remain locked in serious hunger/famine.

Still,more than 3Million Ugandans are entitled to just a single meal per day.

It is becoming a normal venture for families to go 1,2,3,4 days without a single meal.

The most affected areas include Teso, Katakwi, Isingiro,Karamoja, Arua & the Busoga region just to mention but a few.

Our brothers & sisters have resorted to eating fruits,termites,rats and wild game .

Cases of death resulting from the consumption of poisonous cassava in Butalejja & Isingiro districts.

Besides that, 1000s continue to live on in the virtue of dying.

Article 110(b) of the 1995 constitution suggests that the president is inclined to declaring a state of emergency in the wake of a disaster.

Conditions leading to this declaration may among others include;

i) A situation when the area Local Gov’t fails to provide relief services.

ii) When a specific area is rendered -lacking basic human needs due to disaster.

The sentiments & the sufferings of the hunger have laterally bred unprecedented, unimaginable and unmatched levels of starvation across Uganda.

Hunger has not only led to death but also intensified violence especially in rural areas. The desire for survival has also promoted crime especially through thuggery.

This alarming food crisis has primarily been attributed to the ever changing global climate which has in turn affected food production.

We need not to forget our high ranking levels of corruption and state extravagance on useless things that the gov’t prioritizes.

551 Millions are extravagantly and lavishly wasted everyday to suit the selfish demands of state house and its occupants.

It has already emerged that Keith Muhakanizi & Matia Kasaijja fraudulently fronted their own companies to undertake the ‘prestigious opportunity’ of supplying relief items to the affected areas .

False pricing has also been sited. A 100kg sack of posho sells at 240,000/=.

The Ministry of Disaster & Preparedness shamelessly allocated 300,000/= per 100kg sack of posho.

Sources indicate that some food supplies were/are already in stock but have never been given to the masses in affected areas.

With such scenarios & many other unheard of occurrences ,accountability must be taken seriously.

Transportation of the items is also another debacle in this case. But gov’t can afford to fuel more than 30 vehicles for the president’s convoy and an extra more than 10 cars for ‘Mama Janet’ . Contrary to that,at the start of food item distribution, only 4 vehicles were reportedly available.

Studies have also revealed that close to 50% of the seeds supplied in the Operation Wealth Creation (OWEC) have failed to germinate.

The criteria of supplying also remains questionable.

Such incidents will not create any solutions to the hunger crisis.

Fortunately, the Chinese gov’t stepped up with some relief .

Efforts by gov’t to help have been made futile courtesy of a combination of challenges

.These include ;

Bureaucracy, lack of seriousness in the yellow regime in policy implementation and response to disaster.

BUT WHAT MUST BE DONE?

Of course,merely supplying food will solve 2% of the food crisis problem. Precisely, this is what can be done to avert the hunger crisis.

 

Vigorous measures should be embraced to give a huge technical and financial boost to the Agricultural sector towards improving food production.

Ugandans must also adopt planting long lasting crops like rice and cereals like millet, sorghum and dried cassava .

An immediate check should be made on deforestation & other activities leading to climate change.

Sensitization is a key issue. The masses deserve to know the causes and how to prevent food crises .

Above all,gov’t must quicken its response to natural disasters.

Not forgetting that its high time gov’t stood above the waters to crack the whip on graft/ corruption.

 Ajunadavid9@gmail.com

For God & My Country .