The number of children who have died of suspected malnutrition in Namutumba district has increased to 23 from 16.

This has been confirmed by the woman member for Namutumba Florence Mutyabule.

She told journalists in Kampala that more 7 children died of a disease related to malnutrition and she attributed the cause of the deaths to hail storm that caused food shortage in the area and children have no food.

She asked the ministry of health to extend the Nutrition programme to Namutumba district to prevent more children from dying of malnutrition.

Mutyabule also called on the ministry of Disaster preparedness to provide more food to the people in the area because the food sent to them has got finished.

She asked the ministry of Agriculture to procure seeds and hoes for the people affected by hail storm to plant their own food.