Harare (agencies)
A new drought has left millions of people facing hunger in southern African countries reeling from extreme weather, which scientists say is becoming more frequent and damaging. Zambia and Malawi have declared national disasters due to drought, and Zimbabwe may be about to do the same. At a food distribution site deep in rural Zimbabwe, relief teams recently provided aid to about 2,000 people.
An estimated 20 million people need aid in the region as a whole, and many of them simply may not receive it.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that an estimated 9 million people – half of them children – need assistance in Malawi, and more than 6 million people in Zambia – including 3 million children – have been affected by the drought.
In this context, Eva Kadili, UNICEF Regional Director, said, “Unfortunately, extreme weather is expected to become the norm in eastern and southern Africa in the coming years.”
Francesca Erdelman, country director of the World Food Program in Zimbabwe, said that last year's harvest was bad, but this season is worse, she said, adding, “This is not a normal circumstance.”
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