Tag Archives: Food

UGANDA INVESTIGATES UN FOOD AID AFTER THREE DIE, POLICE SAY

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KAMPALA (Reuters) – Uganda is investigating a supply of food from the World Food Program after three people died and 262 others got sick, police said.

People suffered diarrhea, nose bleeds and other health problems after eating food provided by the United Nations food agency, police said in a statement late on Monday.

The food was part of a community feeding program in the northeastern Karamoja region, a semi-arid area where the UN has long provided food aid for people facing poor harvests.

Police are “actively investigating the death of three people … from eating adulterated or poisonous food supplied by the World Food Program,” the statement said.

Samples of the food and the patients’ urine and blood had been sent to a government laboratory for analysis.

The food agency said on Saturday it had suspended distribution of Super Cereal – a fortified blended food – at all its operations in Uganda.

In a statement on Tuesday, WFP said some 262 people had reported falling sick after eating the cereal, with some exhibiting “mental confusion, vomiting, headache, high fever and abdominal pain.”

The organization also said it was aware of “reports of three deaths” that had occurred on March 16 and that extra samples of the cereal had been sent to Kenya and South Africa for testing.

Uganda hosts a large population of refugees, mostly from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where conflict and widespread insecurity has uprooted hundreds of thousands of people.

Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; editing by Larry King

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uganda-relief/uganda-probes-un-relief-food-after-three-deaths-police-idUSKCN1R00GD

Roots for Equity’s Rooftop Garden (Winter 2018-19)

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Since past couple of years, Roots for Equity has been maintaining a seed bank on its office rooftop to promote seed saving and advocate kitchen gardening using traditional, non-chemical methods of agriculture.

Currently there are 20 plants potted on a total of 37 pots in the Roof Garden, Roots for Equity. The following are the 20 plants that have sprouted this winter season (2018-19):

  • Sarson – Mustard Leaves
  • Pudina – Spearmint Leaves
  • Dhaniya – Coriander Leaves
  • Aloo – Potatoes
  • Gajar – Carrots
  • Saem ki phali – Hyacinth Beans
  • Karela – Bitter Gourd
  • Torai – Ridged Gourd
  • Papita – Papayas
  • Jamun – Java Plum
  • Curry patha – Curry Leaves
  • Bhindi – Okra
  • Lasun – Garlic
  • Aloe vera – Aloe Vera
  • Patharchatta – Air Plant
  • Sadabahar – Rose Periwinkle
  • Tamatar – Tomatoes
  • Harimirch – Green Chilies
  • Kharbooza – Musk Melon
  • Baingan – Eggplant

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Tragedy of Infant mortality from drought in Thar

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Press Release

Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) while addressing a protest on the issue of malnutrition and child mortality in Thar due to lack of food. The protestors expressed serious concern over the dreadful situation of Thar. Leaders of PKMT said that New Year comes with the promises of happiness in the world but in Thar, a district of Sindh, comes with reports of hunger, poverty, malnutrition and death which added difficulties in the life of Thar residents.

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Estimation of infant mortality is calculated from the records of public hospitals while there is no record of deaths from remote areas. It should be clarify that the so called nominal aid is only able to reach just around Mithi and other tehseel’s headquarters while waiting children of suburbs died without getting assistance. Much of the deaths are accounted for the reasons of food shortage.

It is clear that drought and lack of food are neither spontaneous nor impossible to solve. As in previous years, this year government again claimed that the crisis in Thar is not related to malnutrition and lack of food but the children deaths due to pneumonia and other diseases while facts told quite another story. National Federation Survey showed 70 percent of mothers are suffering from vitamin A deficiency in Sindh, almost half of children failed to develop their mental and physical stability and 40% of children weighs less than their age. According to the World Food Program most of Tharparker’s population suffers from food insecurity that has been living on food shortage. Nutritional deficiencies among women and children reduced immunity then they are easily prone to disease. These facts clearly show that poverty, unemployment and food scarcity are the main causes of Thar issue, leading child mortality and other complexities.

‘Some NGOs have started various activities to address nutritional deficiencies in children’ for PKMT ‘this is not the permanent and sustainable solution of this issue’. According to locals, once 50kg of wheat’s sack in three or five months provided by the provincial government doesn’t solve of their hunger, poverty, starvation and many other problems. They want that decent jobs to fulfill their nutritional needs. Drought has caused the extinction of animal fodder and many lost their cattle & livestock which were the main sources of getting food.

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Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) believes that the foundations of this crisis due to unfair distribution of wealth in society where the weakest class is deprived of employment because of not having access to productive resources. Majority of farmers do not have their own land which is the major cause and needs permanent solution. PKMT demands permanent transfer of power to the country’s poor majority through just and equitable distribution of land because this is the only durable solution to food insecurity and livelihood.

PKMT strongly demands comprehensive, genuine and practical steps to tackle the crises of food and unemployment in Tharparkar as soon as possible.

23 march 16 press releas sukkur urdu2 copy 23 march 2016 pr sindhi1 copy