The President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a state of national disaster as the country faces its worst drought crisis in years.
The severe drought, sparked by the El Nino weather pattern last year, has left over 2.7 million Zimbabweans facing starvation.
According to Mnangagwa more than $2 billion was needed to combat the crisis and that winter cropping was a priority to bolster food reserves and ensure food security for the population.
The government is collaborating with the private sector to import grains, acknowledging the urgency of the situation. The impact of the drought extends beyond Zimbabwe, with similar proclamations of disaster coming from neighboring countries like Zambia and Malawi.
Projections indicate a staggering 60% deficit in the cereal harvest for Zimbabwe’s approximately 15 million population due to crop failures across various regions.
Furthermore, neighboring countries such as Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, and Mozambique are also grappling with similar challenges, underscoring the regional scale of the crisis.
Projections show that Zimbabwe, whose population is about 15 million, will experience a 60% deficit in the overall cereal harvest due to crop failure in various regions across the country.
