Southern Africa could face food shortage due to drought: WFP

The severe drought situation in Southern Africa could lead to a possible food shortage in the region over the next few months.

The lack of rain this year has resulted in crop failure rates of over 50%, according to the World Food Programme (WFP), the food assistance branch of the United Nations that helps countries by addressing hunger and promoting food security.

The region’s maize production for the year is said to have dropped to around a third in comparison to last year’s produce, with 9.665 million tonnes said to be the worst production in the last eight years.

According to Bloomberg, the country’s corn production will also see a decrease of an estimated 32%.

WFP’s Food and Nutrition Security Working Group’s April assessment said: "The rains experienced in late March and early April provided some relief to livestock farmers, but arrived too late for both staple food and cash crops.

"Of great concern is Zimbabwe, which is facing a looming huge food deficit due to imminent widespread crop failure."

Apart from Southern Africa that produces around 40% of the regional maize, the drought will also hit areas like southern Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Malawi, and Madagascar.

The condition in Malawi had worsened following the early January rains and floods, that destroyed most of its crops and roads.

This is expected to force the countries in the region to supplement their domestic production with increased imports, leading to a rise in the cost of food products, the WFP said.

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Image: Drought in Southern Africa has led to crop failure rates of over 50%. Photo: courtesy of criminalatt/freedigitalphotos.net.