Chinese people in Uganda donate relief food to hunger-hit northeastern region

Ugandan Prime minister Robinah Nabbanja (1st L) inspects relief items donated by China Fuqing Association of Uganda and China Communication Construction Company during the handover ceremony in Kampala, Uganda, on Aug. 19, 2022. Chinese people in Uganda have donated up to 20 metric tons of food to hunger-hit people in northeastern Uganda. China Fuqing Association of Uganda and China Communication Construction Company on Friday handed over the food to the Office of the Prime Minister, the government department charged with the management of humanitarian affairs.(Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)

KAMPALA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese people in Uganda have donated up to 20 metric tons of food to hunger-hit people in northeastern Uganda.

China Fuqing Association of Uganda and China Communication Construction Company on Friday handed over the food to the Office of the Prime Minister, the government department charged with the management of humanitarian affairs.

The Fuqing Association of Uganda is a group that brings together overseas Chinese nationals in Uganda from the city of Fuqing, east China's Fujian Province.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja in a statement issued here Friday said the food would supplement the country's efforts to mitigate the impact of drought in Karamoja region.

"On behalf of the government of Uganda, I thank our Chinese friends for the donation of 20 metric tons of maize flour and beans as well as salt and cooking oil meant for the vulnerable elderly persons in Karamoja," Nabbanja said. "This is a welcome complement to our own efforts to support our people who are in need."

United Nations agencies in Uganda in June called for relief as more than half a million people went hungry in the semi-arid northeastern region.

The call came after a report, titled Integrated Food Security Phase Classification issued here, said the affected population went without any food for an entire day and night for at least three days a month. The report, compiled by the government, UN agencies and partners, showed that the number of affected people had increased to 518,000 this year, up from 361,000 people registered last year.