Oxfam has warned that over six million people from farming families in Zambia are facing acute food shortages and malnutrition until next growing season, which is twelve months away, due to a severe drought, exacerbated by climate change and El Nino, which has caused massive crop failures for half of the nation’s “planted area.”
The drought has forced the Zambian government to declare a national disaster and emergency.
President Hakainde Hichilema said last week Thursday that the country had gone without rain for five weeks at a time when farmers needed it the most.
The drought had hit 84 of the country’s 116 districts, affecting more than a million farming households.
Ezra Banda, Director at Keepers Zambia Foundation, a partner organisation that works with Oxfam, says this crisis is coming at the time when the country is still recovering from the worst cholera outbreak that has claimed more than 700 lives, on top of another dry spell and last year’s flooding.
“Urgent support in form of food and clean water is what people need the most now,” said Banda.
“Many have no food left because they did not harvest enough last year, and this El Nino-induced weather phenomenon has killed the slightest hope they had to feed themselves”.
He added that water shortages that are likely to ensue because of low rainfall this year could spark yet another cholera outbreak.
Mainza Muchindu, a smallholder farmer from Lusaka, Zambia, told Oxfam: “I have a family of ten people and I depend on farming to support them. I support my children’s education through agriculture and my little children need food the most, for their nutrition. With this crop failure, I am really in trouble.”
Standing by his drying maize crop, he said: “I don’t know what else to do because I invested all my money into this two-hectare maize crop and as you can see there is nothing that will come from here. I don’t know where else I will get food from. I can only hope that there will be food relief from the government, otherwise we are facing a big problem.”
Oxfam in Southern Africa Programme Director, Machinda Marongwe, says it is times like when climate financing is most needed, to build up practical and accessible solutions for vulnerable smallholder farmers like Mainza. However, commitment by rich countries remains an unfulfilled one.”
“As long as rich countries don’t lower their carbon emissions, we know that climate shocks will be frequent and more severe. Smallholder farmers need to be insulated from this and must be adequately supported to transform their agriculture so that they can still grow food for their families amidst this climate change reality.”
“Sadly, they are not getting support to solve problems they didn’t cause, none is coming their way because rich nations are offering nothing but lip service. Countries like Zambia and many others in Southern Africa need this climate financing to help them build up the resilience of their smallholder farmers, because that is wearing out.”
Yvonne Chibiya, Oxfam in Zambia Country Representative, says Oxfam and partners are doing further assessments in the targeted districts to inform the humanitarian response.
Oxfam urgently needs 6 million Euros to provide 600,000 people with cash transfers and clean water, help with winter cropping, and improving local sanitation and hygiene services to prevent a resurgence of cholera outbreak.
Nature happens. Zambia is vulnerable because thanks to the borrowing and looting of US $33 billion by Michael Satan and Edna Lungu, it simply does not have the money to finance the relief efforts
As a country we always plan ahead and we should always have enough food reserves for at least 5 years…but the problem is poor leadership….Kaunda used to deal with drought but how come the Supreme leader the Almighty Ayatollah Hakainde Hichilema is failing to deal with drought….talk is cheap…whilst in opposition he thought being a President is as simple as being a cattle Farmer….now still blaming the previous Governments….you’re in charge bwana Hakainde Hichilema
Now lets hear from those against GMO…talk is cheap….now since the Supreme leader the Almighty Ayatollah Hakainde Hichilema sold all the maize…
Here we go, you can’t make this up. Once you declare a state of emergency, these vultur3s take advantage. For every $1 people donate, they use 10 – 20cents of it on your causes and pocket the rest. Poverty is big business. These GMO lunatics, just like the LBGT and climate changes doomsters rely on situations likes these to create fear and drive their strategy. Failure of one crop in a country full of water is criminal.
Drought is not HH to blame
Empty maize silos HH is 100% to blame.
This hunger thing, drought or no drought has been there since time immemorial in Zambia for such a rich country. Water abundant, arable land abundant, Leadership is the only thing that has been missing in the equation.
ECL is to blame for huge debts and depleted the coffers with his cronies. HH came on for a purpose – clean the mess left by PF vile regime.
PF is to blame for leaving silos full of grain for HH to sell
Government needs to be careful with these foreign organization. They normally strike when we are in a precarious situation. In any calamity, they are there to reap maximum profit. The government should come up with clear statistics of the issue underground. We should not rely on statistics from foreign organizations who are there to make profit out of our dire situation. They cheated us on the availability of copper in 1980. And now, they are back after realizing that they cheated us on the depletion of our copper. They are making super profit on a product they declared non existent. Never trust foreign statistics. It is a ploy to cover our eyes with dust.
This is a nation full of Christians, tefyo? You have the declaration in the preamble of your constitution si teto? BUT what have you learned from the story of Joseph in your Bible pela? Kulibe!!!! You sold off your reserves instead of steadying for a rainy day a mambala! Now you are crying. Kupusa bati!? Ati Christian nation ya pa kamwa cabe. Kupusa! Amambala wa kantu!
LOL Kalok
Do you ever see these Muzungu’s showing you pictures of emaciated children from Europe or even Gaza? This is done on purpose to make us less human. We should reject their aid and work closely with our African partners. In fact Africa should start putting conditions on giving europeans access to its resources. We need to flip the coin.
Since time immemorial, arable land abundant, water abundant ,but one thing always missing is stewardship
Lookout for those with briefcases who look for the stewards and pay them to do wrong things. You should also start reading between the lines when people far away from you are more concerned about your leaders doing the right things for their people but praise them when they do wrong. Countries which have sickout out IMF, NGOs and UN seem to do better why is that?