Child Malnutrition Rises Sharply in Uganda as El Niño-Linked Dry Spells Take Their Toll

Kampala: The number of acutely malnourished children in the Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda is expected to rise by 25% by October 2026, with El Niño-related dry spells significantly impacting children's health, Save the Children said.According to Save the Children, new figures from the global hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), show the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition has risen from 122,100 to 154,200 since a previous assessment in June. This means 32,100 additional children now require malnutrition support. This includes an estimated 38,800 children suffering or expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, the worst form of malnutrition which requires urgent medical attention.The figures indicate that general food insecurity in Uganda's Karamoja region, which is home to about 1.6 million people, has worsened dramatically in just a few months, with the numbers facing crisis or emergency situations rising by more than 40%. The number of people facing emergency food insecurity conditions has nearly tripled, with households exhausting resources, skipping multiple meals, or running out of food entirely.Drought-prone parts of Uganda and East Africa are feeling the effects of the super El Niño, with below-average rainfall contributing to lower harvests, reduced agricultural output, localized crop failures, and plant stress, said Save the Children. The Karamoja region has a long history of severe droughts and deadly famines driven by a hot, dry climate, civil unrest, and repeated crop failures. A devastating famine in 1980, triggered by a combination of extreme drought and civil unrest, caused up to 50,000 deaths, killing about 21% of the population.Decades later, reports from the UN's Africa Renewal publication demonstrate that the area remains highly vulnerable, with climate change, poor infrastructure, and ongoing insecurity routinely pushing hundreds of thousands back into critical food crises. Martha Ddambya, Save the Children's Acting Co untry Director in Uganda, emphasized the daily impact of the crisis, noting, "Families tell us they have less food to put on the table, harvests have been poor, and more children are arriving at health facilities malnourished and in need of urgent support."Save the Children is working in coordination with the Government of Uganda and alongside communities in Karamoja to help children access treatment, improve nutrition, and support families to grow food and earn an income. However, the scale of need is growing. "We urgently need increased funding to reach vulnerable children before conditions worsen further, and we need a stronger response to the impacts of El Niño and recurring drought," Ddambya added.Save the Children has been operating in Uganda since 1959 and works across the country to ensure children can survive, learn, and be protected, with programs focused on education, child protection, health and nutrition, child rights governance, and humanitarian response.