00:07Months without meaningful rainfall have left fields dry and crops withered across parts of Uganda.
00:15For thousands of farmers who depend on seasonal rains, the drought is wiping out harvests, shrinking incomes and raising fears
00:24over food security.
00:25The situation is most severe in the northeastern region of Karamoja, where prolonged dry conditions have triggered a growing humanitarian
00:34response.
00:35Prolonged dry conditions have led to crop failure and food shortages.
00:41Sadly, it has been reported that 16 people have died from causes associated with food shortages in the region.
00:51The government has started delivering emergency food to the worst affected communities and says more relief is on the way.
00:59Meanwhile, Uganda's Environment Ministry warns that below average rainfall and unusually high temperatures are likely to persist through July into
01:09August, increasing pressure on crops, livestock and already scarce water supplies.
01:14The worst of the drought is being felt hundreds of kilometers from here in Karamoja, but officials warn its effects
01:22won't stay there.
01:24Low agriculture production could tighten food supplies and drive up prices affecting households across the country.
01:31Authorities say emergency food assistance is now being expanded as more districts report worsening conditions.
01:39The Office of the Prime Minister has also arranged for another consignment of relief food for immediate distribution to the
01:47most affected districts requiring urgent assistance, including Kabong, Kotido, Amdat, Napak and Moroto.
01:59For many farmers, however, the assistance is coming too late.
02:04For months, they had called out for help as they watched their crops fail under relentless heat.
02:15We rely on matoke and milk to get by, but the sun has been way too harsh lately.
02:21This dry spell has really cut down the milk our cows give, because the grazing areas have dried up, and
02:27the heat has wreaked our banana plantations too.
02:30We even took out bank loans to invest in the farms, but now we can't even afford to pay them
02:36back.
02:37Scientists say the drought is another reminder of how climate change is making weather patterns across East Africa more unpredictable.
02:45And while Uganda awaits for the rains to return, forecasters warned that a devolping El Nino later this year could
02:53bring heavier rainfall to parts of the region, raising the risk of flooding in areas now struggling with drought.
03:00The shifting extremes are exposing the growing vulnerability of millions of people whose livelihoods depend on rain-fed agriculture.
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03:13зар Dakar
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