By Norbert Mao
The Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu, Dr. Raphael p’Mony Wokorach, has called for an urgent Church response to the worsening hunger crisis in Agago District and other parts of Northern Uganda.
In a letter dated July 18th, Archbishop Wokorach directed priests under the Kalongo Deanery to discuss the crisis during their upcoming consultative meeting and propose practical interventions to support affected families.
Wokorach in his statement stated that pastoral insights and practical proposals from the priests would be key in guiding the church’s collective response to the humanitarian crisis.
The call comes as 18 people have reportedly died from hunger-related illnesses, while 351 others have been admitted with acute malnutrition linked to severe food shortages.
The Agago District Local Council LCV Chairperson, Wilson Otto, confirmed earlier to Mega FM that the Government, through the Office of the Prime Minister, has earmarked 69-thousand hunger-stricken households for emergency food relief and seeds, expected before the end of this week.
The hunger crisis follows poor harvests caused by a prolonged dry spell that destroyed crops during the first planting season.
The development comes after Acholi Local Council Five chairpersons declared a state of emergency over the worsening hunger situation across the sub-region.