Drought and Food Security Threats in the Region
Taking precautions against the danger of food shortage caused by the ongoing drought in the region was among the most important agenda items of the summit. In his statement during the summit, Elias Magosi, Secretary General of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), emphasized that the predictions for 2024 are worrying due to the El Nino weather event. Magosi stated that a total of 68 million people in the Southern African region need humanitarian aid due to the effect of this drought.
Some countries in the region faced serious difficulties due to drought. In particular, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi officially declared a state of disaster in the first half of the year. In these countries, the food security crisis has become a threat to public health and economic stability.
- Kingdom of Eswatinioath Kingdom of Lesothocalled for urgent assistance to the international community.
- Local authorities continue to work to expand food aid programs and activate emergency support mechanisms.
These threats to the food security of the region reveal not only the urgent need for aid, but also the need to develop long-term solutions. In this context, increasing agricultural productivity and reviewing water management strategies are of great importance.
