Extreme weather attributed to the El Niño phenomenon is causing a surge in hunger in several countries, including Zambia and Afghanistan, prompting the UN’s World Food Programme to call for much-needed help. El Niño is a natural, temporary warming of part of the Pacific that shifts global weather patterns and may become stronger as the world warms. Tens of millions of people in southern Africa rely on the weather to grow food to feed themselves, making southern Africa the “epicenter of the crisis” after a cycle of floods and drought has battered the region over the last three years.
Three countries, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, have been hardest hit by the recent extreme weather, with between 40-80% of their staple corn crops wiped out by drought this season, impacting millions of people. WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain stated that families in the region cannot wait a year for the next harvest season to put food on their tables and called for immediate support while working towards a more resilient future. The WFP estimates that $409 million is needed for six months to assist 4.8 million people in the most affected countries of Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Other countries, including Congo and Afghanistan, are also facing similar issues of destroyed crops, livestock deaths, and displaced people due to changing weather conditions, leading to a surge in hunger. This comes as hunger crises caused by conflict in Gaza and Sudan are already stretching the WFP’s aid capacity. The Southern Africa Development Community recently made a plea for help, estimating that the region needs $5.5 billion to assist more than 61 million people affected by the extreme weather. The El Niño-induced drought and floods have led to cascading impacts across multiple sectors, contributing to problems such as an increase in deadly outbreaks of cholera disease.
In addition to the El Niño phenomenon, the southern African region has seen a series of tropical cyclones, likely made stronger and wetter by human-caused climate change and global temperature increases. Poorer countries in Africa, which contribute the least to climate change, are expected to suffer the most as they are generally not as well-equipped to deal with the impacts of extreme weather events. Prior to the floods and drought, food insecurity and malnutrition levels were already alarming in Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, and humanitarian assistance had stalled due to funding shortages for aid.
The three countries have all declared national disasters due to this year’s drought, with Zimbabwe’s population of 15 million in particular needing “lifesaving and life-sustaining” help. Action Against Hunger has warned of a possible hunger crisis in Kenya in East Africa following catastrophic floods that displaced more than 250,000 people. The situation in the region is dire, with countries struggling to produce enough electricity due to the drought, and large, deadly outbreaks of cholera are adding to the challenges faced by those impacted by the extreme weather events. Immediate aid is needed to address the surge in hunger and food insecurity caused by these disasters.
