SPICMA reports on famine in East Africa

SPICMA feeding project in Karamoja

Source: SPICMA, Eldred Willey

A Catholic charity is appealing for help to feed people in Karamoja, an arid region of Uganda, badly affected by drought in East Africa.

Jean Johnson, a parishioner from Ipswich, who volunteers with SPICMA, (Special Projects in Christian Missionary Areas) has been to this area many times and gathered some of the information that has led to the current appeal.

She said: "In one district of 87,690 people, 228 died of hunger in July." The two worst districts are Kotido and Napak, in the Diocese of Moroto.

A combination of drought and the loss of grain supplies from Ukraine is causing rising mortality in the region.

Parish priests and sisters have asked SPICMA to help by setting up feeding centres in schools, parishes and dispensaries.

A Reuters report of 19 July confirmed that more than 200 people had died in the region.

"People like the elderly, lactating mothers and children are dying silently in their homes. They just succumb to hunger," Jino Bornd Meri, the head of local government for Kaabong district, in Karamoja region, told Reuters.

SPICMA is a small Catholic charity, run entirely by volunteers which aims to help those who would otherwise fall between the cracks left by the larger aid agencies.

For more information and to make a donation to SPICMA's Drought in East Africa appeal visit: www.spicma.org.

Donations can also be sent to: PO Box 299, Cirencester GL7 9FP.