The 2023/2024 El Niño event has led to severe drought conditions in Southern Africa, affecting food security, clean water access, and public health across multiple countries. Nearly 23 million people are facing significant food insecurity, with a large number of children suffering from malnutrition. The situation is exacerbated by cholera outbreaks and socio-economic challenges, demanding urgent humanitarian intervention and improved response strategies.
The ongoing drought in Southern Africa, exacerbated by the severe 2023/2024 El Niño event, has resulted in critical humanitarian crises affecting multiple countries including Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Characterized by delayed rainfall, prolonged dry spells, and extreme temperatures, this phenomenon has led to minimal maize production across the affected regions, as highlighted by national government assessments and estimates by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). The unprecedented severity of this El Niño event, being the worst in 40 years, has severely impacted food security, clean water access, and health outcomes for millions of individuals. Currently, nearly 23 million people are facing high levels of food insecurity, with Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique being the most critically affected nations. The lean season, occurring from October to December 2024, is anticipated to require urgent humanitarian assistance for an estimated 14 to 14.9 million individuals. Six countries, including Botswana and Lesotho, have declared national drought disasters, while Angola and Mozambique report approximately 1.8 million and 3.3 million people respectively experiencing severe food shortages. In 2024 alone, over 2 million children are projected to be acutely malnourished, with more than 500,000 suffering from severe malnutrition. These extreme weather events have precipitated not only food scarcity and livestock loss but also widespread illness and displacement, compounding the existing vulnerabilities across the region. The timing of this drought coincides with one of the region’s worst cholera epidemics in decades, threatening public health further due to sustained water shortages. Moreover, the drought has potential implications for rising HIV transmission, mental health challenges, and increased gender-based violence, underscoring an urgent demand for enhanced preparedness and responsive strategies. The health systems throughout Southern Africa, already under strain from cholera outbreaks, conflicts, and effects of climate change, are facing significant obstacles in providing essential reproductive health services to communities in need. As of now, over one million individuals have been internally displaced as a direct result of disasters related to climate change, primarily in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.
The drought conditions currently gripping Southern Africa are a direct consequence of the El Niño phenomenon, which has historically been associated with extreme weather patterns across the globe. The region has witnessed delayed rain onset, mid-season dry spells, and above-average temperatures, resulting in decreased agricultural output, particularly in maize production. Given that maize is a staple food for many, the resulting food insecurity and malnutrition rates have reached alarming levels, especially among vulnerable populations such as children. Alongside food insecurity, the lack of clean water has exacerbated public health crises, including the resurgence of waterborne diseases such as cholera. The compounded effects of climate change, health epidemics, and socio-economic instability emphasize the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address the multifaceted challenges facing these communities.
In summary, the El Niño-induced drought in Southern Africa represents a severe humanitarian crisis with significant implications for food security, public health, and socio-economic stability. With millions facing acute food insecurity and over two million children at risk of malnutrition, urgent humanitarian assistance and proactive measures are necessary to mitigate the impact of this ongoing disaster. The challenges presented by this drought, coupled with existing health epidemics and socio-economic issues, require robust and coordinated responses from governments and humanitarian organizations to safeguard the well-being of affected communities in the region.
Original Source: reliefweb.int
