NOS News•today, 2:56 PM
Zimbabwe’s president has declared a state of emergency due to the ongoing drought in the country. Weather phenomenon El Niño leads to heat and a lack of rain. Hardly any crops can grow in the country and there is severe famine.
Neighboring countries Zambia and Malawi also sounded the alarm earlier this year. Much of southern Africa is experiencing extreme drought. This is common in this region during El Niño, but experts are now calling it the most severe drought in decades.
President Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe calls for international help. He says the country needs $2 billion to prevent people from dying of hunger. 15 million people live in Zimbabwe. About two-thirds of them live on food they grow themselves.
Until 2025
In the first months of this year, the United Nations already provided aid in the region. Normally now is the time when stocks can be replenished, but due to the persistent drought, many harvests have failed. It is estimated that in Zimbabwe alone, around 2 million people lack food. The food shortage could last until 2025, the UN warns.
El Niño is a warm wave stream in the Pacific Ocean that occurs every 2 to 7 years, causing more extreme weather around the world. The previous El Niño, in 2019, was relatively mild. Yet Zimbabwe was then forced to declare a state of emergency.
