Since mid-January 2024, Zambia has been experiencing a devastating drought affecting 9.8 million people (nearly half the country’s population). This has been declared a national disaster by President Hakainde Hichilema.
The country is currently facing food-shortages and famine, with 6.6 million Zambians lacking food security. Access to safe-drinking water is not guaranteed for all, and many Zambians are affected by dehydration.
About 43% of planted maize has been destroyed because of the long-lasting dry spell, causing total crop failure. Loss is also felt with regards to livestock, as many animals have suffered illness and disease due to the conditions, making them not safe for consumption and a burden for farmers to keep alive, causing higher death rates.
Aside from problems relating to food access, healthcare is now harder to access for those in need. This is due to the pressure on staff and facilities by the amount of people affected by the drought.
Zambia's Hydro-power infrastructure is also experiencing enhanced load shedding (from 8 hours to 10 hours) due to power shortages from reduced water levels in Lake Kariba. This is taking its toll on the population, as it’s affecting access to electricity.
Inflation rate has reached 13.70% in April 2024 and the cost of living has increased, caused by a 5% depreciation of the Kwacha exchange rate and rising prices of supplies like maize and fuel.
The Zambian government estimates that 23.4 billion Zambian Kwacha (£731.5M) are needed to mitigate this situation.
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Despite the current drought, we are continuing our work in Zambia in partnership with the Zambian Rainbow Development Foundation (ZRDF) and will be combining our efforts to help the population recover from this national disaster.
Want to learn more about our work in Zambia? Read more here.
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