Residents in drought-affected districts have appealed to government to provide enough food as the number of people in dire need of food support grows.

The state’s recent intervention only caters for a few, forcing the rest to abandon their homes in search for food.

Rwinkwavu sector of Kayonza is one of the worst hit area, where only 20 out of the over 200 hungry households in each cell receive food aid under the government’s food-for-work arrangement.

“We were told that we would be next to receive food assistance but ended up not getting any because the programme stalled in its second round,” said Daphrose Mukakigeri, a mother of four residing in Nkondo cell.

Ms Mukakigeri, whose husband moved to Uganda in search of food, has taken her four children to their grandparents in the Northern Province.

“There was no option, my hungry kids were no longer going to school and I couldn’t watch them die,” she said, adding that she could also vacate the place soon if she misses out on government food support again.

Her case is not isolated. Many other hungry families that talked to Rwanda Today, said they pleaded with local authorities for help to no avail.
Kayonza, like parts of its neighbouring Nyagatare and Kirehe have not had rain since September last year, in what government describes as the worst drought the country has ever faced in the past 60 years.

Over 16, 119 hectares of crops were hit by drought in Kayonza alone, and 1,369 hectares in Nyagatare and Kirehe combined.

The persistent drought has had severe impact on the household food security in the area where crop and livestock farming are the main source of household income.

Affected by the drought

According to locals, the only remaining hope of survival is the help from government.
It is estimated that over 47,000 households were affected by the drought nationwide.

However, only 18,308 have so far got food assistance as they were found to be most vulnerable, according to local government officials.
However, affected residents described the selection of those in need of help as biased and discriminatory.

Agriculture and Animal Resource Ministry officials instead said the residents’ complaints could be based on the funding mechanism which at times delays, or speculation as every household scrambles for the aid.

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“None should be left out if indeed he is in the category of those in need of food assistance. The issue may be that all of them want assistance at the same time when food support does not reach at the same time considering the logistics involved,” State Minister for Agriculture Tony Nsanganira, said.

Mr Nsanganira said the fact that there are appeals for food cannot be in anyway linked to a possible shortage in the state food reserve. “We have been able to provide the quantity demanded per person and family ration. We are yet to face a shortage, we still have food in our stocks, and budgets to continue replenishing the reserves,” he added.

Government had distributed over 1,200 metric tonnes of maize and beansamounting to 800 metric tonnes to 18,308 affected households by July 11. Agriculture Ministry officials said government would intervene, using the national grain reserve, to ensure that hungry households getfood.