The World Bank Group on Thursday approved a USD 48 million (181 billion Shillings) to help Uganda fight the desert locusts
This is part of $500million in grants and low-interest loans to help countries in East Africa and the Middle East that were devastated by swarms of locusts eating crops.
World bank listed Uganda as one of the worst-hit countries in the region alongside neighboring Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia.
In Uganda, at least 24 districts in 6 sub-regions of Acholi, Karamoja, Lango, Sebei, Teso, and Bugisu were affected by the desert locusts.
Uganda had earlier requested the world bank to borrow USD 50 million from the bank to deal with desert locusts.
The World Bank says the money will help farmers in affected regions, herders and rural households get fertilizer, seeds for new crops, and help people buy food for their families or livestock.
“The outbreak threatens the food security and livelihoods of millions of Ugandans,” the World Bank said in a statement.
At least 291,000 people are already considered severely food insecure in Karamoja and Teso.
The fund will create an Emergency Locust Response Program to monitor and manage locust swarms to limit the growth of existing and new desert locust populations.
Another loan, yet to be approved, is the USD 300 million (1.1trillion Shillings) to fund part of the health interventions in response to the COVID-19 this financial year.
