KOTIDO – The dry season has barely tightened its hold on Karamoja, but for thousands of families across the region, the warning signs are already impossible to ignore. Crops have withered under prolonged sunshine, food stocks are shrinking, and communities fear that if the rains do not return soon, hunger could deepen into a humanitarian crisis.Rather than waiting for that moment, the World Food Programme (WFP), with funding from the Embassy of Ireland, has launched an Anticipatory Action Cash Programme designed to help vulnerable households prepare before conditions deteriorate further. The initiative, launched last week in Kotido District, will provide cash assistance to more than 6,000 vulnerable households across Karamoja. The money is intended to help families buy food and other essential household necessities while protecting the livelihoods they still have before the dry season reaches its peak.The programme reflects a growing shift in humanitarian response. Instead of waiting for drought to trigger widespread hunger before mobilising aid, relief agencies are increasingly using weather forecasts and early warning systems to intervene before disaster unfolds.For communities in Karamoja, where repeated droughts have left many families struggling to recover from one crisis before another begins, that change in approach could make a significant difference.Residents who attended the launch described the difficult months they expect if the dry conditions continue. They spoke of growing malnutrition among children, miscarriages linked to poor maternal nutrition and declining school attendance as children struggle to learn on empty stomachs.Ireland’s Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Mags Gaynor, said acting before a crisis escalates is not only more effective but also significantly less expensive than responding after families have already exhausted their coping mechanisms.“Early action saves resources. When we act before disaster strikes, we spend far less than when we wait to respond after the crisis,” Gaynor said.Drawing on her experience in Malawi during the 2001 food crisis, Gaynor recalled how delays in responding allowed the situation to worsen dramatically.“We anticipated that food prices would increase but did not react immediately. By the time we responded, many families had already sold their assets to buy food. Responding later became much more expensive and achieved little,” she said.She praised WFP for adopting an anticipatory approach and reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to supporting programmes that strengthen the resilience of communities facing increasingly frequent climate-related shocks.The Acting WFP Country Director, Marcus Prior, urged beneficiaries to use the cash assistance for its intended purpose, saying it was designed to help households navigate the difficult months ahead while supporting broader efforts to reduce hunger across the region.The intervention was also welcomed by Kotido Resident District Commissioner Charles Ichogor, although he cautioned that the scale of food insecurity extends well beyond the households selected to receive assistance.“The families identified to benefit are not the only ones affected. Nearly everyone is vulnerable and needs support,” Ichogor said.He described drought as Karamoja’s biggest security challenge and urged development partners to look beyond emergency relief by investing in long-term solutions such as small-scale irrigation.According to Ichogor, the government already provides up to 75 per cent support for micro-scale irrigation systems, leaving communities to contribute the remaining 25 per cent.“The government of Uganda offers up to 75 per cent support for micro-scale irrigation systems and expects the remaining 25 per cent to be met by the people, which they also cannot afford, thus making the problem persistent,” he said.For many families in Karamoja, the cash assistance will not end the region’s recurring struggle with drought. But by arriving before hunger reaches its worst, it offers something humanitarian responses have often struggled to provide: time.The post Ireland, WFP shield Karamoja families from looming food crisis appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.