Ruling on water board

CONCERNS are growing across southern Africa following the worst El Niño-induced drought experienced in decades.

With food stocks largely depleted due to poor or failed harvests across the region, it is estimated that 13.8 million people will be in need of humanitarian assistance.

According to Timo Pakkala, the El Niño co-ordinator for the Southern Africa Office of the UN Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha), this is mainly due to the rising needs of the people in Madagascar, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

“Humanitarian assistance is being scaled up throughout the region.

“However, as we enter the critical period of the crisis during the lean season, many countries are struggling to stretch funds to cover the growing needs,” he said.

“Farmers in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Mozambique, Angola, Lesotho and Swaziland have been struggling to meet their annual harvest levels,” he said.

Pakkala added that it was essential that humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable people was sustained through this period, “and for farmers to be supported so that they can resume agricultural production”.

In the wake of this looming crisis, the humanitarian agencies of the Regional InterAgency Standing Committee (Riasco) this week launched a revised action plan, outlining the deteriorating humanitarian conditions as well as how they will respond in the region.

According to Ocha, food shortages across the region are now severe, and are being worsened by a multitude of existing and increasing factors, including weak commodity prices, unfavourable exchange rates and slow economic growth in the poorer countries.

This region also accounts for a third of all people living with HIV/Aids worldwide, which exacerbates this crisis.

Alongside humanitarian assistance, the Riasco action plan advocates stepping up efforts in ending the cycle of the drought-induced crises in southern Africa.

Ocha hopes to focus on the development of sound national policies and strategies.

“This includes expanding coverage and strengthening safety nets, promoting climate-smart agriculture, reinforcing early warning systems, and improving the management of water and other natural resources.”

ilanit.chernick@inl.co.za