SADC, the Southern African Development Community, is launching an appeal for $5.5 billion to support the 61 million people affected by drought. This call was launched on Monday May 20 by the President of Angola João Lourenço who is at the head of the SADC.
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The exceptional drought hitting southern Africa is wreaking havoc. Temperatures have broken records in recent months due to of the El Niño climatic phenomenonwhich warms the atmosphere.
Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have already declared a state of national disaster. Harvests are expected to be at their lowest, with a risk of shortages.
Half of the corn harvest, the cereal that is the basis of the local food, is lost. According to FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, nearly 16 million people in the region lack food.
The low water level in hydraulic dams also creates serious shortages of electricity, essential for the exploitation of ore deposits, such as copper in Zambia.
Faced with the emergency, the SADC is therefore launching a fundraising appeal for 5.5 billion dollars. The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs has pledged $33 million. As for the FAO, it is committing 10 million.