UMSC launches drive to feed Karamoja
By Issa Kigongo
The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has launched a national humanitarian appeal to mobilise food and other essential assistance for vulnerable families facing hunger and food insecurity in the Karamoja Sub-region.
The appeal, spearheaded by the Mufti of Uganda, Dr Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, calls on Muslims, institutions, companies, development partners and other people of goodwill to contribute towards the humanitarian response.
According to the UMSC, families in Karamoja continue to face serious food insecurity and difficulties meeting basic household needs, with children, mothers, older persons and other vulnerable groups among those most affected.
The Muslim leadership said it is mobilising its national network of Muslim regions, districts, counties, mosques and institutions to provide immediate food relief while also encouraging longer-term interventions aimed at improving food security and livelihoods in the region.
The appeal seeks support in the form of maize flour, beans, rice, cooking oil and other essential food supplies, as well as cash contributions to facilitate food procurement, transportation and distribution.
The UMSC also plans to work with partners on interventions in water, agriculture, livestock and sustainable livelihoods, which it says are critical to building the resilience of communities beyond the immediate food crisis.
Mubaje urged those able to provide food to do so, while encouraging others to make financial contributions towards the humanitarian response.
The UMSC has called for national mobilisation through mosques, businesses, institutions, families and communities, describing the crisis in Karamoja as a shared responsibility.
The appeal quotes the Qur’an, Surah Al-Insan 76:8: “And they give food, despite their love for it, to the needy…”
The council says contributions can be made through its official channels, including its digital platform UMSC360 and the USSD code *284*21#. Food and in-kind donations can also be delivered through the Office of the Secretary General at the UMSC headquarters in Old Kampala.
The initiative comes as the Muslim leadership seeks to mobilise practical support for affected households while promoting longer-term measures that can restore dignity, food security and sustainable livelihoods in Karamoja.
