CommunicationPublished on 21 June 2024

Drought and hunger in Southern Africa – Switzerland provides emergency relief

Drought and hunger in Southern Africa – Switzerland provides emergency relief

Bern — Southern Africa is currently battling a severe drought due to climate-related weather extremes. The UN has announced that millions of people in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi will be pushed into acute hunger if large-scale aid is not mobilised before the next harvest period. The SDC is supporting the three countries with CHF 4.7 million towards tackling the impending hunger crisis.

In Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi, farmers are forced to reckon with the loss of large parts of their harvests due to drought. — © Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi

El Niño might be ending, but its impacts are far from over.

Adeyinka Badejo, deputy regional director for the World Food Programme in Southern Africa

The Southern African drought is yet more evidence of the growing impact of climate disasters on the lives of the most vulnerable. This crisis demands that our response is inclusive, impactful and at scale.

Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, UN Assistant Secretary General and African Risk Capacity Group Director General