Publication

Information Update on Drought Response by the UN System - May 2024

10 June 2024

President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia declared the ongoing drought, caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon, a national disaster on February 29. To complement the Government’s response efforts, the UN and its partners launched an appeal on May 7, calling for $228 million to assist 4.6 million people between May and December of this year.
So far, only $18.1 million of the $228 million UN Appeal has been funded. We urgently call on humanitarian partners to provide the necessary funding to save lives and support those affected by this crisis.
From the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), $5.5 million has been allocated to four UN agencies—WFP, FAO, UNICEF, and UNHCR. These agencies, in collaboration with cluster partners, will address needs in Food Security (both Agriculture and Food Assistance), Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, Nutrition, and Protection. This support will reach 560,000 people, including 50,000 refugees affected by the drought. The UN is doing advocacy to allocate more funds.
UN agencies have also reprogrammed existing funding and initiatives to respond to drought where this has been possible.
At an Extraordinary Summit of the heads of state and government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on the current crisis, leaders announced that 61 million people were impacted by El Niño. They launched a humanitarian appeal for US$5.5 billion to supplement the affected member states’ own resources, calling for support to meet the urgent humanitarian needs.
Ms. Cindy McCain, Executive Director of WFP (World Food Programme), visited Zambia to Strengthen Food Security Initiatives.