Fidelis Fengu
A catastrophic drought triggered by the 2023-2024 El Niño phenomenon has plunged Zimbabwe into a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions. The crisis has escalated into a looming Zimbabwe famine, with an estimated 7.6 million people, more than half of the population, on the brink of starvation, according to a dire warning from the United Nations.
“Families have harvested nothing at all, and their food stocks are empty,” said Valerie Guarneri, World Food Programme’s Assistant Executive Director. “Families are now making survival decisions as the situation continues to worsen.”
The UN has issued a desperate plea for $429 million in emergency aid to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. A high-level UN delegation, including climate crisis coordinator Reena Ghelani and Guarneri, recently visited the country to witness firsthand the devastating impact of the drought.
Their journey took them to the heart of the crisis in Matobo and Umguza districts, where they saw barren fields, emaciated livestock, and communities on the verge of collapse. “The people we’ve met in Zimbabwe are facing a historic drought and need urgent support now,” Ghelani insisted. “Moreover, Southern Africa may be facing extreme droughts like this one every decade: we need support for the medium term so that communities are not vulnerable to future shocks.”
The UN is working closely with the Zimbabwean government to provide immediate relief and build long-term resilience to climate change shocks. However, with the current funding level at just 20% of the required amount, the race against time to save lives is intensifying.
“Thanks to early funding from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, the African Risk Capacity and other partners, the UN and partners have been able to kickstart anticipatory action and early response activities to mitigate the worst impacts of the drought,” said Edward Kallon, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Zimbabwe. “Now we need to scale up the response, to ensure that no-one dies of hunger and children remain in school.”
The UN’s call to action is a stark reminder of the urgent need for global solidarity to address the escalating climate change crisis and its devastating consequences for vulnerable communities.
