Zambia: Nearly Half of the Population Lives in Extreme Drought-Affected Areas

According to a statement issued by CARE and government data, 84 of the country’s 116 districts have been hit by the extreme drought

Almost half of the population of Zambia, 9.8 million people, has been affected by the devastating drought caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon, which has forced many families to eat only once a day and travel long distances to get water, Alerted this Thursday the organization CARE.

According to a statement issued by CARE and government data, 84 of the country’s 116 districts have been hit, while 79% of the population in 27 of those districts, where the NGO conducted a survey, consume a “low or to the limit”.

Some 76% are also using extreme methods, such as reducing the number of meals per day or making adults eat less to ensure that children are fed.

“We eat only once a day, lunch. This has seriously affected our children and we see it every day as they find it difficult to wake up in the morning,” said CARE Reicco Mudenda Kamwaya, a 56-year-old woman, mother of five and leader of a collective of 25 farmers in the village of Sikalongo (south).

Almost half the population in Zambia, 9.8 million people, are suffering from an El-Nino-induced drought that has crippled the country since late 2023. The deteriorating situation has forced countless families to limit their food intake to one meal per day.https://t.co/226jntbdnO

— CARE (care.org) (@CARE) August 15, 2024

“All our produce on the farm dried up and died. The grains we had stored from the previous season have run out. Our animals are dying because they have no grass or water. We are suffering a lot,” he added.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that the 84 districts affected by water shortage house 76% of the country’s livestock and 66% of its poultry, the organization warned.

“The situation in Zambia is dire and continues to deteriorate, especially for women and girls. Not only do they have to walk long distances, which makes them vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence, but when they find water, it is usually not clean, putting them and their families at risk of disease”, said Chikwe Mbweeda, CARE’s director in Zambia.

Currently, the severe drought affecting Zambia is declared as a national emergency.