How Severe Hunger and Poverty Drive Child Trafficking in Karamoja

Severe food insecurity and prolonged drought in Uganda’s Karamoja sub-region have created a desperate humanitarian crisis, leaving families struggling to feed their children. According to Mr Alex Kundu, a community prevention coordinator under an anti-human trafficking project, this widespread hunger makes minors prime targets for exploitation by traffickers.

Traffickers frequently exploit the vulnerable economic conditions in the region, luring children away with false promises of food, shelter, and better lives. Once taken from their homes in districts like Kotido, these minors are often transported to major urban centers such as Kampala, Jinja, Mbale, and Soroti. There, they are frequently forced into street begging, domestic work, and other severe forms of child labor.

Environmental challenges continue to compound the crisis in Karamoja. Local reporting from Kotido District highlights a harsh landscape defined by bare rocks, sandy surfaces, and scanty shrubs, leaving little opportunity for meaningful agricultural production. Historical, structural, and environmental factors have long fueled food insecurity in the area, contributing to high rates of malnutrition and poverty.

For nearly two decades, the Karamojong ethnic group has accounted for the largest population of children working and living on Uganda’s streets. Stakeholders continue to debate policy solutions, such as the proposed Food Bill, to determine whether legislative action can alleviate the silent crisis gripping the region.

For more details on this developing story, read the full report on Daily Monitor.