During an August 4 visit, U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced that the United States is providing $20 million, subject to congressional approval, in new additional resources for Uganda through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The assistance will be channeled through international and national partners and civil society organizations to enhance local efforts in Uganda, an existing Feed the Future partner country, to directly mitigate the impacts of growing food insecurity, which have been exacerbated by Russia’s unprovoked aggression in Ukraine.
A confluence of crises has pushed many Ugandans, particularly those in the Karamoja Sub-Region and the northern parts of the country, into hunger. Food and fertilizer prices, already high because of the COVID-19 pandemic, have soared even higher due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, putting families at risk.
The new funding will help smallholder farmers adopt improved agricultural practices that increase productivity, reduce postharvest losses, and add value to their products. It will also boost agricultural production by expanding financing for fertilizer and improving its efficient use. This assistance will build on existing agriculture and value chain investments to support farmers, agro-businesses, and consumers mitigate the impact of the global food crisis.
Feed the Future’s intensified efforts in Uganda to mitigate this crisis and alleviate food insecurity and malnutrition are part of Congress’ bipartisan emergency supplemental bill signed by President Biden in May. This includes $2.76 billion in supplemental U.S. government resources, announced by President Joe Biden on June 27, 2022, to protect the world’s most vulnerable populations from the escalating global food security crisis exacerbated by Russia’s war against Ukraine and the severe drought in the Horn of Africa region.