UN launches Zambia drought response to assist 2.3 million people

The United Nations and international NGOs have launched a seven-month immediate humanitarian assistance in Zambia.

The UN is seeking US$89.5 million to provide immediate food assistance and early recovery support for 2.3 million people for seven months. It says the main portion of this plan is for food assistance.

The Humanitarian Response Plan complements the Government’s own Recovery Action Plan, which aims to provide life-saving and early recovery support to 2.3 million people in need over the next 12 months.

The Government has mobilized $36.7 million for food security, nutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene, protection and education services against their own plan, but has requested the support of international partners to fill the funding gap.

In support of the Government-led response in Zambia, the UN and humanitarian partners have launched a seven-month Humanitarian Response Plan to address rising humanitarian needs triggered by the poorest rainfall season since 1981 in the southern part of the country, which has sharply reduced cereal crop production.

The decrease in maize production was so severe that the country, normally a net cereal exporter, put a ban on maize exports.

A range of livestock diseases has compounded the crisis. The decrease in maize production was so severe that the country, normally a net cereal exporter, put a ban on maize exports.

More than 2.4 million people of the total population of some 17 million are expected to be severely food insecure during the lean season from this October to March 2020, with at least 430,000 people in emergency levels.

Acute malnutrition, which leads to wasting in children, stands at nearly 6 per cent across the nine provinces of Zambia.