Staff Writer
To mitigate the impacts of the drought on agriculture and food security, FAO (through SFERA and CERF funding) disbursed USD 5.7 million to implement anticipatory actions in four drought-affected countries (Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe), including anticipatory cash and vouchers and distribution of drought tolerant inputs.
To help SADC Member states assess changes in the food and nutrition security situation due to El Niño FAO disbursed USD 0.5 million to eight countries (Angola, Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) to ascertain the impact of the drought on agriculture, food security, and livelihoods.
The Food Security Impact Assessments are ongoing and will inform response and resilience planning by governments and other humanitarian partners. To help restore agricultural production in Malawi and Zambia, FAO has mobilized almost USD 6 million to support early recovery for agriculture.
To augment El Niño response funding FAO is actively engaging with donors to mobilize resources for the phased response focused on livelihoods and agricultural production restoration through early recovery and building the resilience of affected communities to future shocks.
There is the convergence of reduced harvests due to El Niño and rising food prices posing significant threats to households and economies in the region, FAO stands to collaborate with other humanitarian actors to bulwark against food insecurity, aiding affected countries in assessing drought impacts and formulating technically sound response strategies.
Promoting innovative technologies that enhance risk monitoring capacities and facilitating timely context-specific response interventions. “FAO’s commitment to holistic response ensures communities receive life-saving aid and build resilience against future shocks,” said Lewis Hove, FAO Resilience Team Leader for Southern Africa.
As El Niño’s grip loosens and La Niña looms, the region braces for the transition, preparing for the diverse challenges each phenomenon presents. La Niña’s impending arrival herald’s heavy rainfall and flooding. Preparation is key; coherent adaptive strategies must be enacted to prevent crop damage and displacement.
FAO is part of the Urgent call to action to address historic El Niño drought in Southern Africa where Patrice Talla presented the ERRP: Urgent actions are needed to secure resources for emergency responses, conduct seed security assessments, support winter production, rehabilitate community watering points, and provide timely agricultural inputs.
Protecting and restoring natural ecosystems will also be essential for sustaining long-term agricultural resilience and food security.
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