UN CALLS FOR HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT TO ZAMBIA OVER DROUGHT
THE United Nations (UN) has urged the international community to support Zambia in the wake of the drought that has so far devastated six of the country’s 10 provinces exposing millions of Zambians to famine.
Reena Ghelani, the UN Assistant Secretary General and Climate Crisis Coordinator for the El Niño/La Niña response and Eva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa called for concerted efforts to support Zambia which had been hit by drought.
The two who were in the country said children and communities needed urgent support as the country faced a severe drought induced by El Niño, while still battling to recover from a historic cholera outbreak.
This is according to a statement issued by Mark Maseko, National Information Officer, at the UN in Zambia.
The UN representatives met with Government and local partners involved in ongoing efforts to address both the drought and the cholera outbreak and heard from communities and NGOs working on the frontlines of the humanitarian crisis.
Ms Ghelani said communities affected by the drought needed immediate support in terms of cash and food assistance. She said at the same time, the international community must help them become more resilient to climate shocks.
“The farmers we met who are using climate-smart techniques have been able to harvest some crops despite the drought. This shows us the importance of investing in climate adaptation for countries like Zambia,” said Ms Ghelani.
The mission followed a recent declaration by President Hakainde Hichilema of a state of emergency and national disaster, noting that 84 of the country’s 116 districts were affected by the prolonged drought and one million acres of crops, about half of the country’s planted area, had been destroyed.
Experts have warned that the drought will impact food production and electricity generation.
Ms Kadilli said children were the most impacted by climate shocks, and the impacts of El Niño in the region had been devastating.
Ms Kadilli said in Zambia, a large number of the population in need, about three million, were children.
She said throughout the visit, they interacted with community members, including female farmers.
“They are worried for their children as the drought could lead to an increase in malnutrition cases. This will require immediate attention and UNICEF is ready to scale up our response in country, in coordination with the Government, the UN family and partners,” Ms Kadilli said.
The UN in Zambia has put together a multi-hazard preparedness and response plan to support Government-led efforts, and is calling upon international partners to join forces with it, to be able to provide emergency assistance and boost preventive measures and sustainable recovery.