Kioga North Member of Parliament Geoffrey Ocen Kiring has appealed to the government to urgently intervene after a hailstorm destroyed about 1,600 acres of food crops and damaged a four-classroom block at Awelo Primary School in Amolatar District.
Raising a matter of urgent national importance in Parliament under Rule 56(1) of the Rules of Procedure, Ocen said the disaster had affected 964 households in Akwon and Aputi sub-counties, leaving families facing food insecurity and loss of livelihoods.
He said heavy rain, hailstorm, and strong winds destroyed crops, including beans, simsim, cassava, millet and sorghum, which are major sources of food and income for the affected communities. He warned that the destruction had left the households in a difficult situation, with many unable to afford seeds for replanting.
Ocen asked the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture to urgently provide seeds to the 964 affected households to enable them to replant while the rains are still ongoing and help avert a worsening food crisis.
The legislator also reported that the storm had blown off the roof of a four-classroom block at Awelo Primary School, disrupting lessons and leaving pupils without adequate classrooms. He said the learners had resorted to studying in a nearby church, where heavy rains continued to interfere with learning.
Ocen warned that the situation threatened pupils’ safety, school attendance, and effective learning, calling for urgent intervention to restore a safe learning environment. He said parents are willing to provide labour for the repairs but could not afford the iron sheets needed to re-roof the damaged classrooms.
He appealed to the Ministry of Education and Sports, working with the Office of the Prime Minister, to provide 200 iron sheets to repair the school block and enable pupils to return to classrooms without further disruption.
Ocen urged the government to treat both the crop destruction and damage to the school as emergencies, saying timely assistance would help affected households restore their livelihoods and ensure that children in Awelo Primary School continue with their education in safer conditions.