Southern Africa’s Food Crisis is Still Ongoing
Seventeen percent of the region’s entire population is affected by the crisis, according to the Southern African Development Community.
Farmer Takesure Chimbu arranges additional stones to the wall of the Kapotesa dam, which has run completely dry because of the El-Nino-induced drought, in Mudzi on July 2, 2024.
The Southern African region has been experiencing severe levels of food shortage since the beginning of this year. The cause is El-Niño, the climate phenomenon that happens every few years, with a tendency to cause droughts in Southeast Asia, Australia and Southern Africa.
This time around, the region is experiencing the after-effects since July 2023.
In April this year, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a national disaster due to the infrequent rains. "Top on our priority is securing food for all Zimbabweans. No Zimbabwean must succumb to or die from hunger," he had said.In June, the World Food Programme estimated the number of people affected throughout the region to be around 30 million. Reena Ghelani, the United Nations Climate Crisis Coordinator for the El-Niño response, said that people on the ground, especially in rural communities, are worried about the scale of the drought this time around. “They are extremely worried about their future. Urgent support is needed now, and at scale, to protect lives and livelihoods” she said.
The weather pattern is wreaking havoc in countries such as Zambia and Malawi as well, with a record number of livestock dying due to hunger.
In Lesotho, a record number of people are facing a food security crisis. The country’s prime minister, Sam Matekane, in July, also declared a national food insecurity disaster over the drought. A high-level UN delegation visited the country recently to assess the situation on the ground. King Letsie III addressed the delegation by quoting some sobering statistics.
"An alarming 700,000 Basotho, nearly one-third of the country’s population, faced severe food insecurity, a sharp increase from 582,000 last year. The resources required to meet this crisis surged from 1 billion Maloti (approximately $57, 935, 500) in March 2023 to 3 billion Maloti (approximately $173,000,000) last year and this year," he pointed out.
When the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional bloc met in August, it estimated the number of those now affected to be 68 million, or 17 percent of the region’s population.
The current drought is said to not only affect staple crops such as maize, but hydroelectric production too. Last week, the BBC reported the situation in Mudzi, Zimbabwe, as “the worst drought in living memory,” adding that it has destroyed 90 percent of crops.
Other countries that have declared a national disaster are Malawi, Namibia and Zambia. According to a September 17 WFP report, “close to 27 million people across Southern Africa are food insecure as the impact of the El Niño-induced drought deepens. Affected communities have depleted their meager food reserves with months remaining before the next opportunity for harvest in April 2025.”How to help
World Vision has been running a food program for regions affected by extreme weather events, among others. You can donate here.
CARE’s Lean Season Assistance program is assisting affected people in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique. You can donate here.
Gift of the Givers Foundation has been running a support program for people experiencing drought and drought-like conditions in South Africa. Support them over here.
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