By Leopold Munhende
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has presented regional body SADC’s US$5.8 billion begging bowl to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) where he hopes to get much-needed help in the wake of El Nino.
Mnangagwa took over leadership of SADC at the bloc’s summit held in Harare, Zimbabwe in August this year.
He, however, could not make the trip to New York for unclear reasons and is being represented by Foreign Affairs Minister Frederick Shava who read Zimbabwe’s speech on his behalf Wednesday night.
About 68 million people (17% of the total population) are at risk of hunger across Southern Africa due to an El Nino-induced drought that saw food crops wilting early in the farming season.
Dominated by weak economies, the region is one of the hardest hit. Countries are scurrying to get aid up till April 2025 when food supply is expected to normalise after this year’s season.
“The devastating impact of climate change is our common challenge that requires collective action to enable vulnerable communities to adapt while at the same time mitigating the impact,” said Shava.
“Our SADC region has been affected by the El Nino-induced drought that has created a serious food and nutrition security.
“In that context, the SADC Heads of State and Government launched an international humanitarian appeal amounting to $5.8 billion at the end of May 2024.
“That figure will go up as more countries of the region complete their national assessments.
“The overarching objective is to meet the immediate needs occasioned by the El-Nino induced drought, while, at the same time, building resilience for future shocks, including through the establishment of early warning systems.”
Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi are the hardest hit, with rural communities telling United Nations (UN) agency World Food Programme (WFP) they were yet to see anything like it.
“Rural communities we have met on the ground tell us they have never seen anything like this. They are extremely worried about their future,” said UN climate crisis coordinator Reena Ghelani.
Zimbabwe is currently implementing a government-funded feeding scheme for school-going children in vulnerable communities while food aid has been promised in rural areas.
