Millions in Southern Africa Struggle with Hunger and Water Scarcity Amid Harsh Climate Conditions
Over 24 million individuals are grappling with hunger, malnutrition, and limited access to water in the face of extreme droughts and floods. Experts caution that the situation could escalate into a dire humanitarian crisis.
More than 24 million people in southern Africa are experiencing hunger, malnutrition, and water scarcity caused by drought and floods, according to an aid group. Experts are concerned that the situation could worsen into an "unimaginable humanitarian crisis."
Oxfam issued a warning on Wednesday about the dire situation in the region. Zimbabwe recently declared its drought a national disaster, following similar declarations from Zambia and Malawi.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa disclosed that over 2.7 million people in the country will face hunger this year. He mentioned that more than $2 billion in aid is needed for the national response, according to Reuters.
During a press conference at the state house in Harare, the president emphasized that the main focus is to ensure that all Zimbabweans have enough food. He stated that it is crucial that no Zimbabwean should suffer or perish from hunger.
The drought in Africa has been worsened by El Niño, a natural climate pattern that originates in the Pacific Ocean near the equator. El Niño brings high temperatures and low rainfall to the region, making it difficult for the dried-out ground to absorb moisture, increasing the risk of flooding.
El Niño is making the effects of the climate crisis even worse in southern Africa. The climate crisis, mainly caused by burning fossil fuels, is leading to more frequent and severe weather events like droughts and floods in this region, which Oxfam has labeled as a "climate disaster hotspot."
A road between Blantyre and Lilongwe in Malawi has been severely damaged due to heavy rains from Tropical Cyclone Freddy. The cyclone has caused devastation in southern Africa, resulting in the deaths of over 50 people in Malawi and Mozambique since it made landfall for the second time on Saturday night. Authorities in both countries have confirmed the tragic loss of life.
A road connecting the two cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe is seen damaged following heavy rains caused by Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Blantyre, Malawi Tuesday, March 14 2023. The unrelenting cyclone that is currently battering southern Africa has killed at more than 50 people in Malawi and Mozambique since it struck the continent for a second time on Saturday night, authorities in both countries have confirmed. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
Thoko Chikondi/AP
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Survivors of Cyclone Freddy are using their bare hands to dig for victims as the death toll rises to 326.
As we move into the traditional dry season this month in southern Africa, many countries in the region such as Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have been facing a long period of dry weather.
From late January to February, there was very little rain compared to the past 40 years, as stated in a recent report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
In central areas of the region, February was especially dry, marking the driest February in over a century, according to a report from the United States Agency for International Development’s Famine Early Warning Systems Network.
People in Pumula East township, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe are seen walking home after collecting water from a well on March 7, 2024. The region is experiencing high temperatures and drought, impacting many areas in the country. 
Kb Mpofu/Reuters
In Zambia, Malawi and Central Mozambique, extreme drought has damaged more than2 million hectares of crops, Oxfam said.
Zambia announced its drought as a disaster on February 29.
On March 23, Malawi's president declared a state of disaster in most parts of the country. This marks the fourth year in a row that Malawi has had to take this step due to the severe weather conditions. The World Food Programme recently stated that the effects of El Niño are making the climate crisis in Malawi even worse.
Despite contributing only a small amount to global pollution, Southern Africa is highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change.
In Mozambique, where emissions make up just 0.2% of the world total, Oxfam reports that 3 million people are struggling with hunger. The capital city, Maputo, recently suffered from severe floods in March, caused by Tropical Storm Filipo and subsequent heavy rainfall.
Children and women are seen running through a cloud of dust in the village of El Gel, located 8 kilometers from the town of K'elafo in Ethiopia. This photo was taken on January 12, 2023. 
The past five rainy seasons, starting from the end of 2020, have been unsuccessful, leading to the most severe drought in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya in forty years. The upcoming rainy season, expected to occur from March to May, is also predicted to have below-average rainfall. The United Nations reports that the drought has caused 12 million people to face "acute food insecurity" in Ethiopia alone. Additionally, the country is also experiencing a deadly conflict in the northern region.
Eduardo Soteras/AFP/Getty Images
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The analysis found that catastrophic drought, which has forced millions into crisis, is now 100 times more likely due to climate change.
Last week, Teresa Anderson, ActionAid’s International Climate Justice Lead, expressed her concern over the unjust impact of climate change on Mozambique. She highlighted how one of the world's poorest countries is bearing the brunt of the climate crisis, despite contributing little to its causes. This has led to increased debt and worsening poverty in the country.
"Wealthy countries that contribute to pollution need to take accountability for the harm caused by climate change. They should also be ready to offer financial support to help vulnerable communities deal with the impact of climate disasters," she emphasized.
Machinda Marongwe, the program director for Oxfam in southern Africa, described the region as being in a state of crisis. He urged donors to release resources promptly to prevent the situation from deteriorating into a severe humanitarian crisis.
“With all these countries facing multiple crises simultaneously, the urgency cannot be overstated,” Marongwe said.
Editor's P/S:
The article paints a grim picture of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in southern Africa, where millions are facing hunger, malnutrition, and water scarcity due to a combination of drought and floods. The situation is particularly dire in Zimbabwe, where over 2.7 million people are projected to face hunger this year. Experts warn that the crisis could worsen into an unimaginable humanitarian crisis if urgent action is not taken.
The crisis in southern Africa is a stark reminder of the devastating impacts of climate change, which is making extreme weather events like droughts and floods more frequent and severe. Despite contributing only a small amount to global pollution, southern Africa is highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change due to its geographic location and reliance on agriculture. Wealthy countries that contribute to pollution need to take accountability for the harm caused by climate change and provide financial support to help vulnerable communities deal with the impact of climate disasters.
