Up to 80% of maize harvest decimated in southern Africa-WFP Says

Between 40% and 80% of the maize harvest has been destroyed by El Nino-induced drought in southern Africa, the UN World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain said.

“I met farmers who usually grow enough to feed their families and communities. This year they harvested nothing. Now imagine a similar scenario for millions of people throughout Southern Africa, and we have a humanitarian catastrophe,” McCain said following her visit to Zambia.

According to the WFP, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi have been impacted the hardest and have all declared states of drought disaster.

Rainfall dropped by an average 20% in February, damaging farms and undermining output.

Recognising that 61 million people were affected by El Niño, Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) at an Extraordinary Summit launched a humanitarian appeal for US$5.5 billion that will complement the internal resources of the impacted countries.

“I’m asking the international community to join us and step up now. We can’t ask millions to wait for the next harvest season – a year from now – to put food on their tables. These families need our support today while we help to build a more resilient future,” McCain said.