The enormous drought in southern Africa is now entering its worst phase, warns the UN. Millions of people are already starving and five countries have declared a national state of emergency.
Now begins the period between harvest times when food is usually at its scarcest. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) says that the number of people struggling to make ends meet will increase.
The worst period is coming now, says Lola Castro, WFP's acting regional chief for southern Africa to the news agency AFP.
The problem is that the next harvest is not until April 2025.
According to some estimates, the drought is the worst to hit the region in 100 years, she explains.
So far, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have declared a national state of emergency, and countries like Angola and Mozambique may soon do the same, warns Castro.
At least 27 million people have been affected in a region where many are dependent on agriculture to survive. The drought has wiped out 70 percent of the harvest in Zambia and 80 percent in Zimbabwe, according to the UN.
The situation is extremely worrying, says Castro.
The weather phenomenon El Niño – which ended in April – and climate change have driven temperatures higher this year. El Niño leads to drought in some parts of the world and excessive rainfall in others.
