Source: US Agency for International Development
Country: Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, United States of America, Zimbabwe
Highlights
- 17 million people will likely experience Crisis levels of food insecurity from January–March 2017, FEWS NET reports
- ZimVAC estimates more than 40 percent of Zimbabwe’s rural population faces food insecurity
- USAID contributes an additional $127 million for drought response activities in the region
Key Developments
- Approximately 18.3 million people in acutely drought-affected areas of Southern Africa will require emergency assistance between June 2016 and March 2017, according to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Regional Humanitarian Appeal, formally launched on July 26. The appeal requests nearly $2.4 billion in additional funding to provide agricultural support, emergency food assistance, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, among other interventions, to drought-affected households in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
- The USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) projects that approximately 17 million people in the region will experience Crisis—IPC 3—levels of food insecurity from January–March 2017. Many vulnerable households face crisis conditions due to diminished agricultural production, limited income-earning opportunities, and seasonally atypical elevated food prices, FEWS NET reports.
- On July 25, USAID announced approximately $127 million in new funding for the Southern Africa drought response. The new assistance—which brings total FY 2016 USAID humanitarian funding for Southern Africa to nearly $254.8 million—supports emergency food and agriculture, nutrition, livelihood recovery, and WASH interventions for drought-affected populations, as well as support for humanitarian coordination throughout the region. Since FY 2015, USAID has provided more than $300 million to support drought response activities in Southern Africa, including $40.1 million from USAID/OFDA and $267.1 million from USAID/FFP.