The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is struggling to raise the necessary funds for its southern Africa drought response. Despite aiming to collect $400 million, the organization has only managed to secure 20% of the required amount. This shortfall significantly impacts the ability to provide food assistance to seven affected countries in the region.
Drought Devastates Agriculture, Food Insecurity Soars
Southern Africa is enduring its worst drought in decades, exacerbated by the El Niño climate phenomenon. This has led to extreme weather conditions, including prolonged dry spells that have decimated crops. Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe have declared states of disaster due to the severe drought. Approximately 70% of the population in these regions, dependent on rain-fed agriculture, saw their harvests wiped out by the lack of rain.
The WFP is currently working to use the limited funds to feed 5.9 million of the 27 million food-insecure people in the region until the next harvest season in 2025. To achieve this, they have started sourcing white grain from Tanzania, South Africa, and Latin America. However, the high food needs are outpacing available resources, making it difficult to address the crisis effectively.
Urgent Call for Action Amid Growing Hunger
Thomson Phiri, a spokesperson for the WFP, highlighted the dire situation, stating that despite significant donor support, the needs remain exceptionally high. Some donors have reduced their aid budgets, further complicating efforts to assist those affected. As a result, people in southern Africa face a double burden of dealing with both the historic drought and severe funding cuts.
Reena Ghelani, the UN’s climate crisis coordinator for the El Niño response, expressed deep concern about the situation. “We are very worried,” Ghelani said. “We are seeing a sharp increase in the number of people going hungry.” She also warned that climate change would likely bring more prolonged dry spells and frequent droughts to the region in the coming years, exacerbating the crisis.
The urgency of the situation calls for immediate action and increased support from the international community to prevent a worsening humanitarian disaster.
Source: Reuters
