Uganda: Missionary makes desperate appeal from famine zone

Karamoga in northeastern Uganda has been struck by a prolonged drought - the Ugandan Radio Network report that scores of elderly people and children have already died of hunger.

Fr Sylvester mhm, who works in Kotodo Catholic Diocese in Uganda has sent the following message to SPICMA, a small UK-based charity run by volunteers.

Today Fr Sylvester sent this message: "Once again due to the lack of seasonal rains, the region of Karamojoa is now suffering with a severe famine. The hunger situation is dire and so far no other organisation is offering food relief. Due to the lack of food many people are sick, weak have no energy and suffer with biting hunger, especially the elderly and small children."

Earlier he wrote: "It has been a very hard time in the last few days discovering more people who are really suffering from hunger. A number of old women and men are already housebound due to hunger.

"Last Sunday an old woman walked to one of our Chapel hoping for help. She was so weak due to lack of food. She told me that, 'I had a choice of remaining in the house to wait for death or try my luck to see you.'

"We have been trying to reach the most needy by getting the Christian Community the young and old to identify them and to take them some food items. This week we started distributing more food items that we bought (mainly maize and beans). We are distributing to only people who are extremely vulnerable like the sick, the very old and helpless and those who are extremely poor."

The parish has now virtually run out of supplies. At the moment SPICMA is the only charity supplying aid to them. Director Patrick J Phelan writes: "If you can help, no matter how small the amount, then we can help these desperate people."

For more information and to make a donation see: www.spicma.org/