The 2023/2024 El Niño event has triggered severe drought conditions across Southern Africa, leading to widespread food insecurity and health crises. Approximately 23 million people are impacted, with significant malnutrition rates among children and ongoing risks of disease outbreaks, especially cholera. Urgent humanitarian assistance is needed, particularly in the most affected nations including Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, as the region faces the worst drought in the past 40 years.
The 2023/2024 El Niño phenomenon has precipitated severe drought conditions across Southern Africa, particularly affecting countries such as Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This weather pattern has been described as the most severe to impact the region in the past four decades, leading to critical food insecurity and a multitude of related crises. The drought has resulted in a significant delay in the onset of rains, followed by prolonged dry spells and extreme temperatures, which have devastated agricultural yields. The adverse impact of the ongoing drought has led to markedly below-average maize harvests, as reported by both national governments and FEWS NET estimates. As a consequence of these dire conditions, approximately 23 million individuals are currently confronted with elevated levels of food insecurity, with the greatest suffering observed in Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. FEWS NET anticipates that between 14.0 to 14.9 million people will require immediate humanitarian assistance during the critical lean season spanning from October to December 2024. National governments in six affected nations — Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe — have declared drought-related disasters, while Angola and Mozambique also report significant levels of food insecurity, with about 1.8 million and 3.3 million people, respectively, at risk. Furthermore, the ongoing crisis has rendered over 2 million children acutely malnourished, with a troubling count exceeding 500,000 suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The drought has catalyzed the displacement of thousands, exacerbating the region’s existing vulnerabilities to various diseases, including cholera and measles. The dehydration and consequent scarcity of clean water have severely undermined efforts to maintain sanitation and hygiene, maintaining the risk of disease outbreaks particularly in Malawi and Mozambique. As the region copes with these alarming developments, the additional specter of mpox poses a potential strain on the already overtaxed resources and crisis management initiatives. Moreover, the multifaceted challenges presented by this drought will likely heighten the transmission risks associated with HIV and AIDS, mental health concerns, and instances of gender-based violence, thereby emphasizing the critical need for robust and comprehensive preparedness and response strategies.
The article addresses the devastating impact of the 2023/2024 El Niño event on Southern Africa, highlighting the extensive drought and its consequences on food security and public health. El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by the warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific, which significantly influences weather patterns across the globe. In Southern Africa, this phenomenon has historically been associated with extreme weather events, leading to agricultural failures and health crises. The present drought, regarded as the most impactful in four decades, has strained resources in an already vulnerable region, compounding issues such as malnutrition, displacement, and outbreaks of infectious diseases, particularly cholera. Understanding the interconnectedness of these issues is crucial for addressing the immediate and long-term needs of the affected populations.
In conclusion, the drought induced by the 2023/2024 El Niño event presents a critical humanitarian crisis in Southern Africa, with millions facing food insecurity, malnutrition, and health epidemics. Urgent action is required to address the immediate needs for food and clean water, as well as to strengthen public health systems vulnerable to additional shocks. The situation underscores the necessity for coordinated international support and a focus on sustainable solutions to improve resilience against climate-induced disasters in the future.
Original Source: reliefweb.int
