Attachments
REGIONAL PROFILE
Countries in Southern Africa continue to face conflict-induced displacement, food insecurity, the spread of disease, and numerous climatic shocks—including drought, floods, and tropical cyclones—that generate widespread humanitarian needs. In FY 2023, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) provided more than $201 million to respond to crises in six countries across Southern Africa, supporting programs that provide life-saving relief, including food and nutrition assistance, health care, protection services, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) support. USAID/BHA also provided nearly $111 million towards early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience (ER4) programs to address the root causes of food insecurity while bolstering preparedness and response capacity at local, national, and regional levels to help communities prepare for and recover from natural disasters.
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN FY 2023
Climatic shocks, conflict, disease outbreaks, and unfavorable economic conditions all contributed to high levels of humanitarian need across Southern Africa during FY 2023. Tropical Cyclone Freddy in early 2023 destroyed critical infrastructure, flooded homes, and damaged croplands throughout the region, including in parts of Madagascar,
Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. The combined effects of cyclones and drought also prompted high levels of malnutrition in southern Madagascar. Armed conflict continued to displace civilians in northern Mozambique, heightening protection risks, particularly for children, while currency devaluation further limited household purchasing power amid high food prices in Malawi and Zimbabwe. Acute food insecurity remained high throughout the region, and cholera continued to spread due to poor health care availability and inadequate WASH conditions, particularly in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.
USAID/BHA PRIORITIES
USAID/BHA prioritizes achieving improved and sustainable food security levels and health and nutrition outcomes in vulnerable communities throughout Southern Africa during FY 2024. Specifically, USAID/BHA aims to mitigate the impacts of currency devaluation and high food prices that exacerbate food insecurity in Malawi. In northern Mozambique, USAID/BHA prioritizes supporting formerly displaced persons and returnees in rebuilding their livelihoods as they return to their places of origin. USAID/BHA will also continue to support improving WASH infrastructure to mitigate the impact of drought in southern Madagascar and reduce the spread of cholera in Zimbabwe. Across the region, USAID/BHA aims to address El Niño-induced drought and associated food insecurity and malnutrition through emergency food assistance while bolstering livelihoods and household purchasing power. USAID/BHA will also continue ER4 programming during FY 2024 to strengthen disaster risk reduction, national response capacity, and natural resource management in drought-affected and flood-prone areas as communities recover from prior weather events while preparing for future shocks.