Africa
Ugandan minister calls those who are starving to death “idiots”
A government minister in Uganda is facing backlash for his insensitive remarks about those who have died of hunger in the country.
Henry Okello Oryem’s comments have been widely criticized for being tone-deaf. In 2022, a report by an official human rights body revealed that over 2,200 people died from starvation and related illnesses in the north-east region of Uganda.
However, Mr. Oryem argued that with the favorable climate and fertile land, people should be able to grow their own food.
He stated that only an idiot would die of hunger in Uganda, emphasizing that hard work and proper cultivation would ensure food security.
The report also highlighted that the food shortage left nearly half-a-million people in a state of acute hunger.
The minister’s remarks have sparked outrage, with many pointing out that factors beyond individual effort, such as climate change and distribution issues, contribute to the problem of hunger in the country.