by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Appealing to the international community for assistance, the 16-nation Southern African Development Community has warned that some 68 million people in southern Africa are facing food shortages and damaged economies due to a drought brought on by the El Nino phenomenon, Reuters reports.
El Nino is a climate pattern involving the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
Affecting numerous countries including Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, the drought began at the beginning of this year and has destroyed vast swathes of crops, impacting livestock production as well, Reuters said.
The leaders of the SADC nations have met in Harare, Zimbabwe to discuss the crisis, Reuters reports. “The 2024 rainy season has been a challenging one with most parts of the region experiencing negative effects of the El Nino phenomenon characterised by the late onset of rains,” Elias Magosi, SADC executive secretary, said in a statement.
Confirming that only part of the $5.5 billion in aid requested by SADC in May, outgoing SADC chair Joao Lourenco, President of Angola, told the summit: “The amount mobilised so far is unfortunately below the estimated amounts and I would like to reiterate this appeal to regional and international partners to redouble their efforts… to help our people who have been affected by El Nino.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
President Donald Trump signed the temporary peace deal with Iran ahead of schedule Wednesday at the Palace of Versailles in France, kicking off negotiations over a final nuclear deal.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s statement following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the United States is being viewed by analysts not as an embrace of peace, but as a carefully crafted declaration that preserves Tehran’s revolutionary posture while allowing the regime to regroup.
The United States imposed new sanctions Thursday on individuals and entities linked to Hezbollah, accusing them of using political and financial influence to obstruct Lebanon’s peace process and delay the Iran-backed group’s disarmament.
Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow since the war began, hitting a key oil refinery and other targets around the Russian capital, leaving at least one person dead and numerous others injured, Russian officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Southeast Asian leaders in Kazan this week as Moscow moved to deepen ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and promote its vision of a “multipolar world order” aimed at countering U.S. global dominance.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon and will maintain a security zone there for as long as Israel’s defense needs require, placing Jerusalem at odds with both Tehran and the terms of a U.S.-Iran memorandum that calls for an end to hostilities in Lebanon.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told NATO leaders Thursday that the Pentagon is launching a six-month review of U.S. force posture and basing in Europe, signaling a major push by the Trump administration to ensure European allies assume primary responsibility for defending the continent.