Uganda needs $225 mn aid to avert humanitarian crisis

Kampala, Dec 4 (Xinhua) The Ugandan government and humanitarian agencies Thursday said the war-ravaged country needed international assistance worth $225 million to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs of some 1.6 million people.

According to UN agencies here, the drought prone northeastern region has about 800,000 people who are at risk of starvation.

In northern Uganda, more than two decades of conflict between rebel Lord's Resistance Army and the government have uprooted some two million people who need humanitarian assistance.

In eastern Uganda, especially in Teso region, about 60,000 people including internally displaced people and those affected by last year's floods need assistance.

According to the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Uganda, Theophane Nikyema, 54 percent of the funds will go to food security and agricultural livelihood, 12.6 percent will go to protection while 10.2 percent will go to health, nutrition and prevention of HIV/ AIDS.