President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced that the country’s drought is declared a national disaster, saying: “More than 2.7 million people in Zimbabwe will go hungry this year”.
Mnangagwa added that 80% of the country had received “poor rains”.
This announcement comes amid a regional crisis, with Zambia and Malawi making similar declarations in February and March respectively. The drought is attributed to the El Nino weather phenomenon, which disrupts wind patterns and leads to warmer ocean temperatures in the Pacific.
Since November, most Zimbabwean provinces have experienced crop failure, with some regions writing off staple crops like maize entirely.
Humanitarian organizations, including the World Food Programme which provided aid to 270,000 people in the first quarter of 2024, have described the situation as “dire” and urged increased donor assistance.
The crisis extends beyond Zimbabwe’s borders. Botswana, Angola, Mozambique, and Madagascar also face hunger due to the drought gripping southern Africa.