Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Millions in danger as severe drought hit Southern Africa

POSTED ON October 16, 2024 •   GLOBAL NEWS      BY Benedicta Bassey
Aid distribution at a camp for displaced people in the Somali region of Ethiopia/ Photo credit: Sky News

*UN Warns that the situation may persist untill next harvest

Millions across the Southern Africa region are facing severe hunger following an unprecedented drought, the United Nations has warned.

Several countries, including Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, have declared states of national disaster in recent months as the drought ravages crops and livestock.

Angola and Mozambique are also heavily affected, according to the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), which cautioned that the situation is likely to worsen until the next harvests, expected in March or April.

“A historic drought – the worst food crisis yet – has devastated more than 27 million lives across the region,” said WFP spokesperson Tomson Phiri. “Some 21 million children are malnourished.”

“October in Southern Africa marks the start of the lean season, and each month is expected to be worse than the previous one until harvests next year in March and April. Crops have failed, livestock have perished, and children are lucky to receive one meal per day.”

The drought is particularly devastating for tens of millions of people who rely on small-scale, rain-fed agriculture for both food and income.

UN official had in July described the situation as the worst drought to hit the region in a century.

According to WFP’s acting regional director for southern Africa, Lola Castro, the drought has wiped out 70% of the harvest in Zambia and 80% in Zimbabwe.

In addition to the agricultural collapse, the drought has drastically reduced hydropower capacity, leading to widespread electricity shortages. Both Zimbabwe and Namibia have resorted to culling wildlife, including elephants, to provide meat for starving populations and reduce pressure on dwindling resources.

Scientists have also highlighted how climate change-induced droughts and unpredictable rainfall patterns are harming crop yields, development, taste, and harvest periods across the region.

READ ALSO
Canada Tightens PGWP Eligibility, New Fields of Study Added, Others Removed
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 29, 2025 0

Canadian authorities have made it more difficult for international students to qualify for post-grad...

READ ALSO
France to Enforce Nationwide Smoking Ban in Public Outdoor Spaces
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 28, 2025 0

Starting this Sunday, smoking will be banned on beaches, in public parks, gardens, bus shelters, and...

READ ALSO
Africa Must Adapt Governance for True Progress- Obasanjo
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 27, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged a reassessment of governance...

READ ALSO
Trump Announces Iran-Israel Ceasefire Deal, Tehran Denies Formal Agreement
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Iran and Israel have agreed to a “comple...

READ ALSO
NATO Warns Iran Against Nuclear Weapon Development Amid Rising Tensions
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

In a renewed effort to curb escalating violence in the Middle East, the North Atlantic Treaty Organi...

READ ALSO
Qatar Closes Airspace After Iranian Strike on U.S. Base in Doha
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 23, 2025 0

In a swift move to safeguard lives and property, the government of Qatar has closed its airspace fol...

READ ALSO
Iran Denounces U.S. Support for Israeli Strikes as Genocidal, Vows to Defend Its Sovereignty
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 22, 2025 0

Iran's foreign minister issued a grave warning on Sunday, stating that the United States and Israel...

READ ALSO
Trump Urges Immediate Evacuation of Tehran as Israeli Strikes Expand
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 17, 2025 0

The Israeli military has instructed thousands of residents to evacuate central Tehran to prevent cas...

OUR CHANNELS:

Reclaiming Gaddafi’s Pan-African Dream: Why His Vision Still Matters
BY Suleiman Jimoh July 2, 2025 0

Few remember that Muammar Gaddafi once dared to imagine an Africa unchained from foreign dictate. He...


Calls for Autopsy: Ondo Govt. Faces Pressure to Exhume Late Governor Akeredolu's Body
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

The Ondo State Government may need to exhume the body of the late governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, f...


Dangote Slash Petrol Price to N840 per Litre Amid Market Adjustments
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 2, 2025 0

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has lowered the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly refe...


NEC Reinstates Anyanwu as PDP National Secretary Amid Internal Conflicts
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

The 100th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the People’s Democratic Party (...


APC Schedules NEC Meeting for July 24 Amid Leadership Changes
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - The All Progressives Congress (APC) has scheduled its National Executive Committee...


PDP: Tensions Rise Ahead of 100th NEC Meeting Amid Factional Disputes
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

As tensions escalate within the People’s Democratic Party regarding the National Secretary pos...


Sokoto,Kebbi PDP Ready to Join Coalition Against APC in 2027
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

The state branches of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto and Kebbi have expressed t...


UNIUYO Medical Lecturers Begin Indefinite Strike over VC appointment
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 30, 2025 0

Medical lecturers at the University of Uyo, affiliated with the Medical and Dental Consultants Assoc...


Nigeria and Saint Lucia Unite for Mutual Growth
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu and Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre agreed on Sunday to establish formal diplo...


Tinubu Empowers ICRC to Streamline PPP Processes
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 2, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu has authorized the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to e...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu