The El Nino phenomenon, which began in 2023, typically causes global temperatures to rise for a year. Currently, it is causing catastrophic droughts in southern Africa, where Zimbabwe (photo) and Malawi have also requested international aid.
Photo: KEYSTONE/AP/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi
Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema appealed for help on Tuesday, saying his country needed ‘vital’ assistance of more than $900 million. This is to cope with the worst drought in its history.
In a televised speech, he explained that nearly half of the twenty million inhabitants of this very poor country in southern Africa had been affected by this drought caused by the El Nino climatic phenomenon.
More than six million people need emergency assistance, he added. ‘Zambia has experienced extremely little rainfall this year, causing the worst drought on record,’ he explained.
Devastated agricultural sector
The agricultural sector is devastated, with crops and pastures affected. But Zambia, which declared the drought a national disaster in February, only has 51 million of the 940 million needed to deal with it, he added.
‘With heavy hearts, on behalf of the government and people of Zambia, we appeal to the international community, our partners in the country, the private sector, churches and civil society organizations, to support financially and materially our plan to limit the devastating effects of the drought,’ declared the president.
The El Nino phenomenon, which began in 2023, typically causes global temperatures to rise for a year. It is currently causing catastrophic droughts in southern Africa, where Zimbabwe and Malawi have also requested international aid.
/ATS
