UN Sounds Alarm Over Food Crisis In Southern Africa

The United Nations's food agency said on Tuesday that millions of people across southern Africa are facing the worst food crisis in decades due to drought. The World Food Programme (WFP) also warned that the crisis is expected to deepen until the next harvests in March or April next year. 

“A historic drought – the worst food crisis yet – has devastated more than 27 million lives across the region,” said WFP spokesperson Tomson Phiri in a Geneva press briefing. Amid severe drought conditions, five countries, including Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, have declared a state of disaster. “What makes it worse is that October is just the start of the lean season, the peak of the hunger season is January, so things will get worse before they get better," the spokesperson added. Reports indicate that the El Niño phenomenon, which warms parts of the central Pacific and disrupts weather patterns, has been a major factor in the crisis. 

Administrations in Namibia and Zimbabwe have recently resorted to killing wildlife, including elephants, to provide meat for hungry people. The UN agency said that Angola and Mozambique are also severely affected. The drought that hit the region has wiped out 70% of the harvest in Zambia and 80% in Zimbabwe. WFP also noted that to address the situation, the agency needs $369 million, but it has only received 20% of that amount.