President Mnangagwa announces a $2 billion plan to combat hunger and secure food amid devastating drought conditions
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has officially declared a national disaster in Zimbabwe, confronting a severe drought that threatens millions with hunger. On Wednesday, he announced the need for $2 billion to mitigate the impacts of scant rainfall that has halved the maize crop, exacerbating food insecurity. An estimated 2.7 million Zimbabweans now face the prospect of hunger as food prices soar, echoing similar crises in neighbouring Zambia and Malawi.
This declaration comes as southern Africa grapples with what some fear could be its worst drought in decades, with 13.6 million people across the region facing crisis-level food insecurity, according to the World Food Programme. “Securing food for all Zimbabweans is our top priority. No Zimbabwean should die from hunger,” Mnangagwa emphasized, highlighting the government’s commitment to averting disaster.
Zimbabwe’s economic woes, marked by soaring inflation primarily driven by escalating food prices, compound the drought’s effects. The nation once hailed as the breadbasket of southern Africa, now seeks emergency maize supplies on the international market, a challenge intensified by global weather patterns such as El Nino, which disrupt rainfall and hydroelectric power production.
The recurring droughts, with significant ones declared in 2016 and 2019, underscore the growing frequency and severity of such events, partly attributed to climate change. With the global average temperature already 1.2°C higher than pre-industrial levels, the urgency for substantial emissions reductions to mitigate further warming and its impacts on drought severity becomes ever more critical.
