Alert Note: El Niño-linked drought in Zimbabwe

Dreamtown has submitted an alert note due to El Niño-linked drought in Zimbabwe.

A severe drought is currently affecting Zimbabwe, with extremely dry and warm conditions induced by the El Niño phenomenon. According to The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) the provinces around the Zambezi basin, i.e. Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East as well as Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North are the worst affected in terms of food insecurity in the period from March-May 2024 (in crisis level). The projected food security outcomes in the same regions are also projected to be at a crisis level in the period from June-September 2024.

The current crisis is primarily attributed to climate change-induced drought, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities in Zimbabwe. Prolonged dry spells have led to environmental degradation, diminished water sources, and diminished agricultural productivity. The ongoing macroeconomic issues in Zimbabwe are expected to further compound the impact of the poor harvests across the country through the post-harvest period as households largely remain dependent on market purchases for food.

The food poverty line in Zimbabwe increased by 62.2% when compared to February 2024 while the total consumption poverty line increased by 65.8%. According to WFP’s HungerMap, the number of people facing insufficient food consumption and those employing ‘crisis and above’ food-based coping strategies increased over the past three months from 4.3 million to 5.5 million. The situation has profound social and health implications, particularly for vulnerable groups such as smallholder farmers, pregnant women, children, and the elderly.