El Nino requires urgent action

Southern Africa is in the grip of an urgent crisis, according to the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN).

According to the FANRPAN, a record-breaking dry spell lasting over 30 days is scorching Malawi, Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“El Niño and climate change are fuelling this disaster, inflicting severe damage on crops and livestock over the past five years,” the institution said.

The FANRPAN is a pan-African network that provides independent evidence to inform policy processes at national and regional levels.

Its mandate is to coordinate policy research and dialogue and recommend strategies for promoting food, agriculture and natural resources sectors in Africa.

The think-tank reports: “The situation is dire and demands immediate attention. Widespread crop failure looms in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Livestock are dying at alarming rates due to a lack of water and vegetation.

“The movement of desperate people and animals is spreading diseases, including those transmissible to humans.”

Meanwhile, over 9 000 cattle deaths have been reported in the region since October 2023.

“This is a humanitarian crisis demanding immediate action. Without urgent intervention, the suffering of affected communities will only worsen,” FANRPAN states.

The FANRPAN and its partners will hold a media briefing today at the Agricultural Research Council in Pretoria, South Africa, to address the matter.

The media briefing will shed light on the scale of the drought in Southern Africa and the steps governments, donors, and international actors must immediately take to save lives and avoid further catastrophes.

Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera and Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema have declared a State of Disaster in their respective countries following a lengthy drought that has disrupted food production.

Weather experts in Malawi forecast a shorter rainy season with prolonged dry spells in the Southern Region.

The weather pattern has left farmers concerned about wilting crops and falling harvests amid worsening hunger as official estimates show 4.4 million Malawians require urgent food aid to avert a dehumanising food crisis.— Sanews.gov.za