Attachments
Highlights
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A record mid-season dry spell of over 30 days has affected vast parts of the region including, Angola, Botswana, DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. These areas have received the lowest rainfall for the late-January/February timeframe in at least 40 years.
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Short term forecasts indicate the continuation dry spell until early March 2024, potentially extending to mid-March in central and southern parts of the region.
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The extended dry conditions have severely impacted crops with widespread permanent wilting of crops reported in parts of Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Crop failure in affected parts likely due to forecasted dry conditions with little hope of recovery for crops in many areas.
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The ongoing dry spell has also negatively affected vegetation and water availability for livestock, with deteriorating conditions expected to worsen. Over 9,000 drought-related cattle deaths have been reported in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe between October 2023 and February 2024.
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Heavy rains in parts of Madagascar, Malawi, and Tanzania cause flooding, displace populations and cause damage to property and infrastructure.
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Stakeholders need to urgently coordinate and implement integrated strategies for water resource management, conduct comprehensive assessments of crop and livestock conditions, ensure immediate support to affected communities, and evaluate current and forecast regional cereal staple stock levels until the 2025 harvest.