Southern Africa Faces Severe Hunger Crisis: Over 20 Million Affected by Drought

The United Nations and its partners have launched appeals for aid in four Southern African countries – Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – to assist 14.5 million people affected by the El Niño-induced drought. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that Southern Africa is experiencing severe food insecurity due to the drought, with over 20 million people facing hunger. The situation is particularly dire for children, with over 1.1 million under five years old suffering from acute malnutrition across 12 countries. This drought is one of the worst in the past century, impacting several regions in Southern Africa. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated $29.4 million (approximately €26.6 million) to support drought response efforts in Angola, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, and Namibia.