Updated 01.21 | Published 01.13
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full screen A man walks beside a dried up riverbed in Mudzi, Zimbabwe. Photo: Aaron Ufumeli/Aptt
The enormous drought in southern Africa is now entering its worst phase, warns the UN. Millions of people are already starving and five countries have declared a national state of emergency.
Now begins the period between harvest times when food is usually scarce. The UN Food Program (WFP) says the number of people struggling to get enough to eat will increase.
– The worst period is coming now, says Lola Castro, WFP’s acting regional director for southern Africa to the AFP news agency.
– The problem is that the next harvest is not until April 2025.
According to some estimates, the drought is the worst to hit the region in 100 years, she says.
So far, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe have declared a state of national disaster, and countries such as Angola and Mozambique may soon do the same, Castro warns.
At least 27 million people have been affected in a region where many depend on agriculture for survival. The drought has wiped out 70 percent of the harvest in Zambia and 80 percent in Zimbabwe, according to the UN.
– The situation is extremely worrying, says Castro.
The El Niño weather phenomenon – which ended in April – and climate change have pushed temperatures higher this year. El Niño leads to drought in some parts of the world and excessive rain in others.