Months of drought in southern Africa triggered by the El Niño weather phenomenon have had a devastating impact on more than 27 million people and caused the region’s worst hunger crisis in decades, the United Nations’ food agency said Oct. 15. The WFP estimates that about 21 million children in southern Africa are now malnourished as crops have failed. “This is the worst food crisis in decades,” WFP spokesperson Tomson Phiri said. “October in southern Africa marks the start of the lean season, and each month is expected to be worse than the previous one until harvests next year in March and April. In southern Africa, food prices have risen sharply in many areas affected by the drought, increasing the hardship.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 18, 2024 03:21 UTC