By Norbert Mao
At least 60 elderly people in Gulu district have died in just two months, with the Community Development Office, CDO linking the deaths to hunger caused by the prolonged drought and food shortages in the region.
The deaths were recorded among beneficiaries of the government’s support Programme for older persons during the July payment cycle, a figure officials say is unprecedented in the past six years.
Anna Grace Akot, the CDO in charge of Disability and Elderly Affairs in Gulu District, while speaking to Mega FM said the prolonged dry spell has destroyed crops and left many vulnerable households without enough food.
Akot said elderly persons and Persons with Disabilities are bearing the greatest burden because many are unable to engage in strenuous work to secure food.
The situation comes as the prolonged dry spell continues to affect agricultural production across northern Uganda, leaving vulnerable communities increasingly dependent on external support for food.
