101.4 Elgon FM

Elgon FM

Health

27 February, 2023

994

Residents in Karamoja sub-region are resorting to eating leaves from wild trees as they burn charcoal for survival as hunger continues to dog their region.

The residents say the ongoing drought has worsened the hunger situation forcing them to resort to environmentally degrading activities to survive, hence consuming the tree leaves as they fell for charcoal.

Anna Mary Napeyok, a resident of Nawanatau village in Loputuk sub county Moroto district said that they have exhausted all other options for food and the only available alternative is stripping leaves from the trees to boil as food.

Napeyok noted that because of the poor harvest they experienced in the last season, families are pushed into desperate means of survival such as begging for 'malwa' (millet brew) residues in the trading centers and those with energy can rely on charcoal burning.

Paul Komol Lokol, the LCV chairperson for Kotido district appealed to the government to speed up with the process of procuring food relief because the situation is getting worse.