Zambia faces dire humanitarian assistance

from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – AS effects of climatic change begin to take toll, Zambia faces one of the worst droughts in a period of 40 years, the United Nations (UN) has said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said the world body is therefore urgently appealing for US$228 million to assist an estimated 4.6 million people from food insecurity.

However, the Zambian government had reported that more than 9 million people, about half the country’s population, faced food scarcity insisting they needed urgent humanitarian assistance.

“Zambia is experiencing its driest agricultural season in more than 40 years, resulting in crop losses, increased livestock deaths and worsening poverty,” Dujarric said.

To date, the United Nations’ Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) released $13.5 million from a total of the required $228 million aid relief.

“Nearly half of the two million hectares of maize planted in the country have been destroyed by the drought and, according to authorities (Zambian government), cereal production is forecasted to decline by nearly 50 percent this year,” Dujarric said.

– CAJ News