Southern Africa is experiencing a severe drought due to the 2023/2024 El Niño event, marking the worst drought in 40 years. Approximately 23 million individuals are facing food insecurity, with extensive impacts on public health, including acute malnutrition in over 2 million children. Conditions are compounded by water scarcity and ongoing disease outbreaks. A coordinated humanitarian response is critically needed across the affected nations.
The southern region of Africa is currently experiencing one of the most severe droughts in recent history, attributed to the ongoing El Niño phenomenon. This climatic event, which began impacting the area during the 2023/2024 agricultural season, has resulted in significantly delayed rainfalls, prolonged dry spells, and abnormally high temperatures. National assessments reveal that the El Niño drought is the worst seen in 40 years, placing immense strain on communities already vulnerable due to previous crop failures and economic hardships. Widespread drought conditions have led to devastating effects, including acute food shortages, diminished access to safe drinking water, outbreaks of diseases, and loss of livestock. Compounded by these adverse conditions are sharply reduced maize harvests throughout the region, which fell well below the average five-year production levels. Communities are experiencing severe depletion of their food reserves with many months yet to pass before the next harvest in April 2025, intensifying the threat of widespread famine. Currently, an alarming number of nearly 23 million individuals across Southern Africa, particularly in Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, face severe food insecurity. Humanitarian projections indicate that between 14 to 14.9 million people will require urgent assistance during the lean season from October to December 2024. Affected nations, including Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, have declared national drought disasters, with significant numbers of food-insecure individuals, notably approximately 1.8 million in Angola and 3.3 million in Mozambique. Moreover, the drought’s repercussions extend beyond food insecurity, impacting public health across the region. Over two million children are expected to be acutely malnourished, with over half a million suffering from severe wasting. The situation is exacerbated by ongoing cholera outbreaks, with water shortages undermining public hygiene and sanitation efforts, particularly in Malawi and Mozambique. Additional challenges, including the emerging risk of mpox, threaten to divert crucial resources from the drought response efforts. The drought’s impact is further magnified by the ongoing cholera epidemic, which, although stabilized, raises continued concerns for public health. The nexus between drought, food scarcity, and health crises is evident, as the stressors brought about by the drought increase vulnerability to diseases such as HIV and AIDS, mental health challenges, and incidents of gender-based violence. This situation highlights the critical need for enhanced preparedness and response initiatives across the region, as health systems are already strained by the compounding effects of El Niño, cholera outbreaks, conflicts, and climate change. Notably, over a million people have been displaced, chiefly from Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, as they flee the consequences of disasters and climate change imperatives.
The El Niño phenomenon is a significant climatic event that occurs in the Pacific Ocean, influencing weather patterns worldwide. Throughout the years, El Niño has been linked to extreme weather events, including severe droughts, which have had debilitating effects on agricultural sectors and food security in various regions. For Southern Africa, the current El Niño event is historic in its severity, leading to a multifaceted crisis that not only impacts food production but also exacerbates health vulnerabilities, particularly in an environment already fraught with epidemics and medical emergencies. It is crucial to understand that this drought does not occur in isolation; rather, it intertwines with existing challenges such as health system weaknesses, economic instability, and ecological changes, creating a perfect storm for humanitarian crises.
In summary, the ongoing drought caused by the 2023/2024 El Niño event presents a critical humanitarian crisis in Southern Africa. With approximately 23 million individuals facing food insecurity and significant health challenges due to malnutrition and disease outbreaks, the need for immediate humanitarian assistance is dire. The regional response must be coordinated and multifaceted, addressing immediate food needs while bolstering health systems to mitigate the impacts of concurrent health crises such as cholera. Enhanced preparedness measures and strategic resource allocation are essential to navigate the complexities of this disaster and support afflicted communities in their recovery efforts.
Original Source: reliefweb.int
