- Email: [email protected]
Severe drought in Zimbabwe triggers food crisis
World Report
Severe drought in Zimbabwe triggers food crisis Zimbabwe’s worst drought in three decades has caused food shortages in large swathes of the country. Worries are building about increasing child malnutrition rates. Andrew Green reports.
Underlying causes Zimbabwe, once known as the breadbasket of southern Africa, has suffered pockets of drought over the past 5 years, but nothing on the scale of 2015. Last year’s rains were so poor, the country’s harvest dropped 50% from 2014, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). By October, the international community was warning that 1·4 million people would be food insecure. In rural areas, subsistence farmers were unable to store away enough supplies to last them through the lean season that usually ends with the April harvest. With fewer crops to gather, contract farm labourers also lost out on work—and money www.thelancet.com Vol 387 March 5, 2016
to purchase food. Underscoring the severity of the situation in the country’s remote areas, a rapid assessment done in January found a global acute malnutrition rate for children aged 6–59 months of 5·7%— the highest level recorded in 15 years in Zimbabwe. The impact extends beyond the country’s rural communities, though. By the end of 2015, the average price of maize grain—a national staple— had jumped 32% over the previous
“...a rapid assessment done in January found a global acute malnutrition rate for children aged between 6–59 months of 5·7%—the highest level recorded in 15 years in Zimbabwe.” year, according to a collaborative report from non-governmental organisations and UN agencies, helping to spread food insecurity to the country’s urban centres. Zimbabwe’s Government said the USA and other western nations are partially to blame, arguing that ongoing sanctions have undermined the country’s economy. Both the European Union and the USA imposed the sanctions in the early 2000s in the wake of a crackdown on opposition politicians by long-time President Robert Mugabe’s administration. Hyperinflation set in soon after, undermining the government’s ability to provide health services or respond to emergencies. The international community, in turn, has criticised a land reform policy started in earnest in the early 1990s, which saw the government strip white farmers of their land and hand it over to black citizens. The purpose was to
compensate black Zimbabweans for decades of colonial rule, but it also undermined agricultural production and contributed to the spiralling inflation. Irrespective of the cause, the end result was an economy unable to respond quickly or comprehensively to emergencies. “In an ideal setting, the effects of the drought, not the drought in itself, could have been mitigated, or at least planned for”, Takure said. “The Zimbabwean situation is a bit unique. The economic malaise facing the country makes it difficult to plan”, she said, without enough incoming revenue to justify purchasing reserve supplies of grain in advance. Nevertheless, in the past, Zimbabwe has been able to turn to neighbouring countries, including South Africa and Zambia, to shore up grain reserves before emergency struck. That included 1·8 tonnes of maize by June last year—but it is not likely to be enough to carry them through this emergency, which is set to become much worse.
El Niño effect The world is in the midst of an El Niño event, caused by the warm phase of the Pacific Ocean.
Aaron Ufumeli/EPA/Corbis
At least 2·8 million people in Zimbabwe—nearly a fifth of the country’s population—are facing food shortages. Ongoing drought forced the government to declare a state of disaster in February, even as the international community scrambles to raise the money necessary to mount a response. This year’s harvest is set to begin in April, but it is unlikely to provide any relief. Instead, soaring temperatures and continued rainfall shortages— the result of a global El Niño event— have already destroyed crops in the southern part of the country and triggered warnings that the country’s food insecurity could intensify, while possibly introducing additional health concerns. “I’d say it will get worse before it gets better”, said Sostina Takure, the coordinator of the ACT Alliance Zimbabwe Forum, a coalition of churches and faithbased organisations. “It is absolutely critical that donors move in swiftly to respond before we start recording loss of lives.”
Villagers from Zimbawe’s Chisumbanje area receive food aid from USAID
931
Aaron Ufumeli/EPA/Corbis
World Report
Farmers are struggling to grow crops and keep cattle alive
The phenomenon, which occurs every 2–7 years, can trigger extreme weather conditions around the world. In southern Africa, the impact usually comes in the form of reduced rainfall and higher temperatures— generally during the main planting and harvesting seasons, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO reports that Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Swaziland have historically been the most affected by El Niño in southern Africa. This year the impact is already apparent. “Zimbabwe is very bad and it’s coming on top of a really bad harvest last year”, said David Orr, a WFP spokesperson. “Plus all the economic and infrastructural issues that they are facing compounds the situation.” Hardlife Takada, the emergency response manager in Zimbabwe for Plan International, said the impact of El Niño is already devastatingly apparent in some parts of the country, where temperatures have skyrocketed. “We have a serious situation where a number of crops have been declared write-offs and there are no indications that they will be able to plant any more crops”, he said. “The situation is not very good at the moment.” For some farmers, that means a second year without a harvest. And it is not just farmers who are affected. After 2 years in a row 932
of little rain, some pasture-lands have turned to dust and “livestock is dying at an alarming rate”, Takada said. According to UNICEF, 17 000 cattle have died and those that remain are rapidly becoming unsellable. “The quality of the meat is bad”, he said. Meanwhile, water in some areas is becoming scarce as boreholes dry up, meaning people are either forced to travel farther or turn to less clean sources. The combination of these circumstances has UNICEF officials and others worried about the potential health consequences—not only worsening malnutrition and possible stunting in children, but also a rise in illnesses associated with poor drinking water, including diarrhoeal diseases, such as cholera, and acute respiratory infections. “Ideally, they will not start showing now”, said
“...UN agencies are hurriedly coordinating an overview of the humanitarian needs, which will guide the overall response...” Blessing Zindi, a UNICEF emergency specialist. “But we might start seeing them over time.” With rainfall still in short supply, there is no indication that the situation is going to ease. Takada said food insecurity could easily last through next year’s harvest—and then only improve if there is finally a robust harvest. And where, in the past, Zimbabwe has been able to turn to neighbouring countries for assistance, they are now also suffering from the El Niño conditions. The FAO reports that across vast areas of Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, and Madagascar, the “current rainfall season has so far been the driest in the last 35 years”. That both reduces those countries’ outputs and ability to then sell cereals, but—in places like Malawi, where an additional 2·8 million
people are also food insecure—it puts increasing pressure on limited international resources.
Emergency response Along with declaring a state of disaster, the government has put out a call for a US$1·5 billion response. Donations have come in from the USA and the European Union. It is not yet clear how much the government itself will contribute. If they fall short of the request, Victor Chinyama, a UNICEF communications officer, said the response would have to be triaged. “It’s very much like a wish list. Within that, there’s a need to prioritise, in terms of resources that are coming in and what are absolute requirements.” Groups such as the ACT Alliance are already preparing to provide food aid in the worst-affected areas of the country. Plan International is also providing food assistance, along with training on how to better prepare for droughts and other problems resulting from climate change. Meanwhile, UN agencies are hurriedly coordinating an overview of the humanitarian needs, which will guide the overall response and should be ready in early March. Zimbabwe is actually already well positioned to track—and respond— to any health crises that stem from the food shortages. The country has a system of health posts that position health workers near most communities. “They do visit villages on a regular basis”, said Chinyama. “They screen children and would be able to pick up on any problems quickly.” UNICEF is now trying to introduce a system that would allow health workers to transmit information using mobile technology. This would cut reporting time down from 3 to 4 months to a matter of minutes and then expedite any emergency response that might become necessary.
Andrew Green www.thelancet.com Vol 387 March 5, 2016
Severe drought in Zimbabwe triggers food crisis Zimbabwe’s worst drought in three decades has caused food shortages in large swathes of the country. Worries are building about increasing child malnutrition rates. Andrew Green reports.
Underlying causes Zimbabwe, once known as the breadbasket of southern Africa, has suffered pockets of drought over the past 5 years, but nothing on the scale of 2015. Last year’s rains were so poor, the country’s harvest dropped 50% from 2014, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). By October, the international community was warning that 1·4 million people would be food insecure. In rural areas, subsistence farmers were unable to store away enough supplies to last them through the lean season that usually ends with the April harvest. With fewer crops to gather, contract farm labourers also lost out on work—and money www.thelancet.com Vol 387 March 5, 2016
to purchase food. Underscoring the severity of the situation in the country’s remote areas, a rapid assessment done in January found a global acute malnutrition rate for children aged 6–59 months of 5·7%— the highest level recorded in 15 years in Zimbabwe. The impact extends beyond the country’s rural communities, though. By the end of 2015, the average price of maize grain—a national staple— had jumped 32% over the previous
“...a rapid assessment done in January found a global acute malnutrition rate for children aged between 6–59 months of 5·7%—the highest level recorded in 15 years in Zimbabwe.” year, according to a collaborative report from non-governmental organisations and UN agencies, helping to spread food insecurity to the country’s urban centres. Zimbabwe’s Government said the USA and other western nations are partially to blame, arguing that ongoing sanctions have undermined the country’s economy. Both the European Union and the USA imposed the sanctions in the early 2000s in the wake of a crackdown on opposition politicians by long-time President Robert Mugabe’s administration. Hyperinflation set in soon after, undermining the government’s ability to provide health services or respond to emergencies. The international community, in turn, has criticised a land reform policy started in earnest in the early 1990s, which saw the government strip white farmers of their land and hand it over to black citizens. The purpose was to
compensate black Zimbabweans for decades of colonial rule, but it also undermined agricultural production and contributed to the spiralling inflation. Irrespective of the cause, the end result was an economy unable to respond quickly or comprehensively to emergencies. “In an ideal setting, the effects of the drought, not the drought in itself, could have been mitigated, or at least planned for”, Takure said. “The Zimbabwean situation is a bit unique. The economic malaise facing the country makes it difficult to plan”, she said, without enough incoming revenue to justify purchasing reserve supplies of grain in advance. Nevertheless, in the past, Zimbabwe has been able to turn to neighbouring countries, including South Africa and Zambia, to shore up grain reserves before emergency struck. That included 1·8 tonnes of maize by June last year—but it is not likely to be enough to carry them through this emergency, which is set to become much worse.
El Niño effect The world is in the midst of an El Niño event, caused by the warm phase of the Pacific Ocean.
Aaron Ufumeli/EPA/Corbis
At least 2·8 million people in Zimbabwe—nearly a fifth of the country’s population—are facing food shortages. Ongoing drought forced the government to declare a state of disaster in February, even as the international community scrambles to raise the money necessary to mount a response. This year’s harvest is set to begin in April, but it is unlikely to provide any relief. Instead, soaring temperatures and continued rainfall shortages— the result of a global El Niño event— have already destroyed crops in the southern part of the country and triggered warnings that the country’s food insecurity could intensify, while possibly introducing additional health concerns. “I’d say it will get worse before it gets better”, said Sostina Takure, the coordinator of the ACT Alliance Zimbabwe Forum, a coalition of churches and faithbased organisations. “It is absolutely critical that donors move in swiftly to respond before we start recording loss of lives.”
Villagers from Zimbawe’s Chisumbanje area receive food aid from USAID
931
Aaron Ufumeli/EPA/Corbis
World Report
Farmers are struggling to grow crops and keep cattle alive
The phenomenon, which occurs every 2–7 years, can trigger extreme weather conditions around the world. In southern Africa, the impact usually comes in the form of reduced rainfall and higher temperatures— generally during the main planting and harvesting seasons, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO reports that Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Swaziland have historically been the most affected by El Niño in southern Africa. This year the impact is already apparent. “Zimbabwe is very bad and it’s coming on top of a really bad harvest last year”, said David Orr, a WFP spokesperson. “Plus all the economic and infrastructural issues that they are facing compounds the situation.” Hardlife Takada, the emergency response manager in Zimbabwe for Plan International, said the impact of El Niño is already devastatingly apparent in some parts of the country, where temperatures have skyrocketed. “We have a serious situation where a number of crops have been declared write-offs and there are no indications that they will be able to plant any more crops”, he said. “The situation is not very good at the moment.” For some farmers, that means a second year without a harvest. And it is not just farmers who are affected. After 2 years in a row 932
of little rain, some pasture-lands have turned to dust and “livestock is dying at an alarming rate”, Takada said. According to UNICEF, 17 000 cattle have died and those that remain are rapidly becoming unsellable. “The quality of the meat is bad”, he said. Meanwhile, water in some areas is becoming scarce as boreholes dry up, meaning people are either forced to travel farther or turn to less clean sources. The combination of these circumstances has UNICEF officials and others worried about the potential health consequences—not only worsening malnutrition and possible stunting in children, but also a rise in illnesses associated with poor drinking water, including diarrhoeal diseases, such as cholera, and acute respiratory infections. “Ideally, they will not start showing now”, said
“...UN agencies are hurriedly coordinating an overview of the humanitarian needs, which will guide the overall response...” Blessing Zindi, a UNICEF emergency specialist. “But we might start seeing them over time.” With rainfall still in short supply, there is no indication that the situation is going to ease. Takada said food insecurity could easily last through next year’s harvest—and then only improve if there is finally a robust harvest. And where, in the past, Zimbabwe has been able to turn to neighbouring countries for assistance, they are now also suffering from the El Niño conditions. The FAO reports that across vast areas of Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, and Madagascar, the “current rainfall season has so far been the driest in the last 35 years”. That both reduces those countries’ outputs and ability to then sell cereals, but—in places like Malawi, where an additional 2·8 million
people are also food insecure—it puts increasing pressure on limited international resources.
Emergency response Along with declaring a state of disaster, the government has put out a call for a US$1·5 billion response. Donations have come in from the USA and the European Union. It is not yet clear how much the government itself will contribute. If they fall short of the request, Victor Chinyama, a UNICEF communications officer, said the response would have to be triaged. “It’s very much like a wish list. Within that, there’s a need to prioritise, in terms of resources that are coming in and what are absolute requirements.” Groups such as the ACT Alliance are already preparing to provide food aid in the worst-affected areas of the country. Plan International is also providing food assistance, along with training on how to better prepare for droughts and other problems resulting from climate change. Meanwhile, UN agencies are hurriedly coordinating an overview of the humanitarian needs, which will guide the overall response and should be ready in early March. Zimbabwe is actually already well positioned to track—and respond— to any health crises that stem from the food shortages. The country has a system of health posts that position health workers near most communities. “They do visit villages on a regular basis”, said Chinyama. “They screen children and would be able to pick up on any problems quickly.” UNICEF is now trying to introduce a system that would allow health workers to transmit information using mobile technology. This would cut reporting time down from 3 to 4 months to a matter of minutes and then expedite any emergency response that might become necessary.
Andrew Green www.thelancet.com Vol 387 March 5, 2016