Impact of the 2023/2024 El Niño-Induced Drought on Southern Africa

The 2023/2024 El Niño event has caused unprecedented drought across southern Africa, leading to severe food shortages and public health crises, with nearly 23 million individual facing food insecurity. The drought, most impactful in Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, has resulted in significant displacement and malnutrition, prompting calls for urgent humanitarian assistance and enhanced response mechanisms.

The El Niño phenomenon of 2023/2024 has precipitated unprecedented drought conditions throughout southern Africa. This event is being recognized as the most severe in the last four decades, leading to significant socio-economic disruptions across the region. Late rainfall, protracted dry spells, and excessively high temperatures have collectively contributed to dire agricultural outcomes, with maize harvests plummeting well below five-year averages, as corroborated by national governments and FEWS NET estimates. The drought has resulted in widespread food shortages, severely limiting access to clean water and exacerbating health challenges such as disease outbreaks and livestock losses. Nearly 23 million individuals within the region are reportedly experiencing heightened food insecurity, with Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique being the most affected. Projections indicate that between 14.0 and 14.9 million residents will urgently require humanitarian assistance during the critical lean season from October to December 2024. The severity of the drought has led six countries—Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—to declare national drought disasters. Furthermore, Angola and Mozambique are grappling with significant food insecurity, impacting approximately 1.8 million and 3.3 million inhabitants, respectively. The nutritional status of vulnerable populations is of particular concern, with over 2 million children estimated to be acutely malnourished in 2024, including over 500,000 suffering from severe wasting. This climate crisis is compounded by preexisting vulnerabilities within public health infrastructure, already strained by the ongoing cholera epidemic and other medical emergencies such as measles. Although the cholera situation has stabilized to some extent, ongoing water shortages undermine sanitary practices and maintain a risk for outbreak resurgence, particularly in Malawi and Mozambique. The drought conditions not only threaten food security but also heighten risks associated with HIV/AIDS transmission, mental health deteriorations, and gender-based violence. These pressing issues underscore the importance of bolstering preparedness and response strategies in affected areas. The interlinked challenges stemming from El Niño, cholera outbreaks, ongoing conflicts, and climate change have severely hampered access to vital health services across southern Africa, with over one million individuals displaced due to climate-induced disasters.

The southern African region is currently experiencing the impacts of the 2023/2024 El Niño event, which has resulted in some of the harshest droughts in four decades. This weather phenomenon has exacerbated existing vulnerabilities in food security, public health, and economic conditions across several countries. The consequences, including significant agricultural failures and subsequent food shortages, are compounded by existing health crises, such as cholera outbreaks and other communicable diseases. Enhanced humanitarian response and preparedness are essential components in combating the collective adversities faced by the region’s communities.

In conclusion, the 2023/2024 El Niño event has precipitated a multifaceted crisis in southern Africa, characterized by extreme drought conditions, significant food insecurity, and public health challenges. Collectively, these factors have highlighted the urgent need for international support and comprehensive strategies to address both immediate humanitarian needs and long-term recovery strategies for the affected populations. Immediate action is vital to prevent further degradation of living conditions and health outcomes in the region.

Original Source: reliefweb.int