About 68 million people in Southern Africa are suffering the effects of an El Nino-induced drought that has devastated crops across the region, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said Saturday.
Elias Magosi, SADC executive secretary, told a summit of regional leaders that 17% of the region’s population is in need of aid. “The 2024 rainy season has been a challenging one with most parts of the region experiencing negative effects of the El Nino phenomenon characterized by the late onset of rains,” he said.
The drought, which began in early 2024, has severely impacted crop and livestock production, leading to food shortages and broader economic damage.
Several countries, including Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, have declared the hunger crisis a state of disaster. Lesotho and Namibia have called for humanitarian support.
The crisis is attributed to a combination of the naturally occurring El Nino weather pattern and higher average temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions, making it Southern Africa’s worst drought in years.
In May, the region launched an appeal for $5.5 billion in humanitarian assistance to support drought response efforts. However, outgoing SADC chair Joao Lourenco, President of Angola, said donations have fallen short of the target.
“The amount mobilized so far is unfortunately below the estimated amounts,” Lourenco told the summit. He urged regional and international partners to “redouble their efforts… to help our people who have been affected by El Nino.”
The drought crisis dominated discussions at the SADC summit in Harare, where heads of state from the 16-nation bloc gathered to address regional issues, including food security.
The ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was also noted as a source of significant concern by Lourenco.
A Reuters story
