KAMPALA, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Three people have died and over 240 others were hospitalized in northeastern Uganda after they ate contaminated relief food, a Uganda Red Cross official said on Monday.

Beatrice Nakitende, Red Cross manager for the south Karamoja region, told Xinhua that two deaths were registered in Amudat district while the other was in Napak. She said by Sunday there were 140 victims in Napak and 100 others in Amudat.

Nakitende said that currently the situations in both districts of Amudat and Napak are under control, and the majority of the hospitalized were already discharged.

The UN World Food Program (WFP) on Saturday announced that it had stopped the distribution of blended food in Uganda after reports of recipients falling sick.

The food aid agency in a weekend statement said scores of recipients of Super Cereal, a fortified blended food, were taken sick and admitted to health centers in Karamoja.

Nakitende said Red Cross is working with WFP to sensitize the community to withdraw all the food stuff that had been distributed earlier.