Zombo: A devastating hailstorm battered several sub-counties in Zombo District recently, leaving a trail of destruction across Abanga, Warr, Atyak, and Zombo Town Council. The calamity has deepened fears of acute food insecurity and potential famine in an already vulnerable region.
The violent storms destroyed a wide range of crops beans, maize, cassava, coffee, and avocados dealing a heavy blow to the district’s predominantly agrarian communities.
Zombo District LCV Chairperson James Oruna Oyullu described the situation as “alarming and severe.” He said local extension workers have been deployed to assess the damage and urged affected communities to report their losses promptly.
“We are committed to linking our communities with relevant authorities to secure assistance,” Oyullu said.
“Timely reporting will enable coordination with the Office of the Prime Minister and other disaster response bodies.”
The storm also damaged critical infrastructure. Educational institutions such as Friget Nursery and Primary School and Paidha Progressive Nursery and Primary School had their roofs ripped off in Paidha Town Council.
Oyullu called for calm, expressing hope that previous support from the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness could serve as a foundation for a rapid relief effort.
In Warr Sub-County, LCIII Chairperson James Cekecan Apoy reported extensive crop losses in Pakia Parish, affecting villages such as Aciro, Oriang, Aida, Jupujuku, Azi, Nyamola, and parts of Bindu.
“Beans, maize, and cassava fields have been completely devastated,” Cekecan said.
“Farmers are in urgent need of relief support.”
In Abanga Sub-County, LCIII Chairperson Richard Awekunimungu said key livelihoods were wiped out in Serr, Asina, and parts of Pamitu Parishes.
“Coffee and cabbage—key sources of school fees and income—were destroyed. The community is in distress and needs urgent intervention, just like last year,” he stated.
This latest disaster mirrors similar hailstorms in 2024, which affected Abanga Sub-County and Padea Town Council, further undermining local food security. In early 2025, the Office of the Prime Minister delivered relief to some of the previously affected areas in Abanga.
However, local leaders have consistently pointed to chronic underfunding of the District Disaster Management Committee, which they say limits both preparedness and emergency response, leaving communities exposed to repeated climate shocks.
Environmental experts note that rampant deforestation since the early 2000s has stripped the district of its natural buffer against extreme weather. Once protected by dense vegetation, Zombo is now more vulnerable to hailstorms, floods, and windstorms.
According to the Uganda National Risk Atlas (2019), hailstorms rank among the country’s seven priority hazards alongside floods, droughts, landslides, lightning, windstorms, and earthquakes. The document underscores the pressing need for robust disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation strategies in fragile ecosystems like Zombo.
As residents pick up the pieces, local authorities are appealing to government and humanitarian agencies to act swiftly before the district slides deeper into crisis.
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