14 million in Southern Africa face hunger due to drought
Somali refugees fetching water in Dadaab, Kenya on July 31, 2011. The European Union has announced a Sh1.9 billion in aid to help Kenya deal with the refugee problem. PHOTO | TONY KARUMBA |
What you need to know:
- The WFP said the El Nino global weather event is leading to even worse drought across the region and is already affecting this year’s crop, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told a daily briefing.
- “The number of people without enough food could rise significantly over coming months as the region moves deeper into the so-called lean season, the period before the April harvest when food and cash stocks become increasingly depleted,” said Mr Haq.
- According to the WFP, the worst affected countries by last year’s poor rains are Malawi, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.
UNITED NATIONS, Tuesday
The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that 14 million people are facing hunger in Southern Africa due to prolonged dry spells that led to a poor harvest last year, a UN spokesperson has said.
The WFP said the El Nino global weather event is leading to even worse drought across the region and is already affecting this year’s crop, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told a daily briefing.
“The number of people without enough food could rise significantly over coming months as the region moves deeper into the so-called lean season, the period before the April harvest when food and cash stocks become increasingly depleted,” said Mr Haq.
WORST AFFECTED
According to the WFP, the worst affected countries by last year’s poor rains are Malawi, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.
Lesotho declared a drought emergency last month and one third of the population does not have enough food.
Also of concern are the situations in Angola, Mozambique and Swaziland, said Haq.
The warm-water phenomenon, El Nino, has dried up rainfall across southern Africa over the last year, killing crops and disrupting hydropower production.
