Southern Africa: 45m People To Experience Severe Food And Water Shortages

A disheartening report was revealed by the Evangelical Christian Aid Organization World Vision Coordinator for Southern Africa, Maxwell Sibhensana, on Friday, last week. The Organization said that about 45 million people from the southern part of Africa risk facing shortages of food and water, and these shortages will come about as a result of "the effects of the changing weather conditions."

“This crisis is almost invisible to the public outside Africa, but on the ground, we are witnessing the devastating effects of changing weather conditions,” Sibhensana said.

 
“We need to integrate climate change into our development programmes, anticipate the worst, and help farmers become more resilient to climate shocks.

“Many southern African countries are among the countries most affected by climate change,” Sibhensana added.

This revelation comes as the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) gave warnings concerning the growing hunger crisis in the 16 countries in the southern region of Africa, and this food crisis is expected to not only hit those in the urban areas, but those resident in the rural areas, too.

The Southern Africa Director of WFP, Margaret Malu says that some of the areas are about to experience the "worst drought of the past 35 years."

This drought has been intensified by persistent cyclones and floods that have effectively eroded many food crops, both in the southern and eastern parts of Africa.