Blantrye, Malawi — More than 30 million people in Southern Africa have been affected by drought and now face severe food insecurity and humanitarian challenges that require innovative solutions and emergency funding to address, UN agencies and governments warn.
The El Nino climate pattern, which started globally in July 2023, has led to a severe rainfall deficit across the region, with temperatures five degrees above average. February was the driest in 100 years, with just a fifth of the usual rainfall for the month, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe declared national disasters as drought led to crop failures, triggering widespread food insecurity and displacement of people.
In Malawi, one of the hardest-hit countries, the government and UN partners say innovative strategies are needed to increase food production and build resilience.
Moses Chimpepho, director of preparedness and response at Malawi's department of disaster management affairs, said the country was exploring irrigation farming as one solution.
"We are also mindful of the fact that a lot of people don't have food and therefore we have another component of humanitarian assistance," he told SciDev.Net, explaining: "We are looking at two aspects: providing some food to some families or providing some cash transfers."
The El Niño impact is exacerbating the devastating effects of the climate crisis in Malawi and compounding the impacts of tropical storms and cyclones in 2022 and 2023, according to the WFP.
Affected communities say this is the worst drought they have ever experienced.
Wikala Kaideni, 55, of Lekerenji village in the southern district of Chikwawa, told SciDev.Net that he and his family were facing starvation after their entire crop wilted.
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"During a normal season, we harvest at least 30 bags of maize, but this season the dry spell scotched the maize at the flowering stage," said Kaideni, stood with his wife and seven-month-old baby.
"The maize dried up and we did not harvest anything," he added.
Rebecca Adda-Dontoh, UN resident coordinator for Malawi, told SciDev.Net that communities in the country have been involved in watershed management activities, including construction of dams, eyebrow basins, trenches and community access roads, as well as tree regeneration.
She said the UN was committed to supporting countries Malawi and other countries affected by the fallout from El Nino, to build resilience to future shocks.
"In the long term, we're looking at re-growing trees and positioning communities to access carbon credits, addressing climate change impacts," she said.
"This approach will help communities adapt to climate change and reduce their vulnerability to future disasters."
Reena Ghelani, UN assistant secretary-general and climate crisis coordinator for the El Niño Response, told SciDev.Net during a visit to affected families in Malawi last month that immediate action was needed.
"We're seeing a horrendous drought, but we're also seeing opportunities for innovation," she said.
"We must act now to address the escalating disaster."
She highlighted the importance of supporting smallholder farmers, particularly women, who are critical to food production.
"We must empower them with climate-resilient agricultural practices and access to markets," she added.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net's Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
