UN calls for action to address historic El Niño drought in Southern Africa
June 6, 2024
7 1 minute read
Zambia, Chingobe village, Zimba district
In the photo: Kaponde Likando is a 60-year-old smallholder farmer from Chingobe village in Zimba district, Chuundwe agricultural camp, located in southern Zambia.
Kaponde relies on rain-fed agriculture to cultivate maize, sorghum, groundnuts, and sweet potatoes. Unfortunately, during the 2023-2024 farming season, the lack of rainfall and prolonged dry spell adversely affected his crops, resulting in an estimated loss of over 90%. This unfortunate turn of events left Kaponde and his family without the expected harvest, which has been devastating for them.
El Niño is a climate phenomenon characterized by warmer-than-usual sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
It continues to bring below-average rainfall to most of southern Africa, affecting rural communities reliant on rainfed agriculture and livestock farming. Communities affected by El Niño experience lower harvests and fewer livelihood opportunities.
El Niño is hitting at a time of already significant unmet needs, with 13.6 million people currently experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity in affected countries.
WFP is supporting governments in mitigating the impact of El Niño on food security in the region.
The United Nations has warned that over 30 million people across Southern Africa have been affected by a severe drought, reliefweb reported yesterday.
The ongoing crisis has led to a devastating rainfall deficit and rising temperatures, resulting in widespread harvest failure and livestock deaths across the region, the source mentioned.
Countries like Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe have declared states of emergency as the situation continues to deteriorate. Millions could be pushed into acute hunger unless urgent support is mobilized before the next lean season.
The joint call was made by the UN, NGOs, regional and national authorities, humanitarian and development partners during a briefing on the emergency in Southern Africa, held in Pretoria, South Africa, to highlight the severe impacts of El Niño and the climate-driven crisis.
