Alert note: Prolonged effects of the El Niño-linked drought in Zimbabwe

Dreamtown has submitted an alert due to prolonged effects of El Nino-linked drought in Zimbabwe.

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.

According to The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), following the 2023/24 El Niño-induced drought, own-produced food stocks are widely unavailable, even in typical surplus-producing areas, while high prices and below-average income are constraining access to markets. According to FEWS NET analysis, Zimbabwe is projected to see an increase of 2.5 million people (a 15-percentage-point rise year-on-year) facing Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) levels of acute food insecurity, reaching up to 6 million people by March 2025. The Rural Livelihoods Assessment (RLA) carried out by The Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC) projects that the peak hunger period is from January to March 2025