Southern Africa: Humanitarian Snapshot (As of October 2024)

Over 24 million people are experiencing crisis levels or worse of food insecurity (IPC 3+) in Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe between October this year and March 2025. Food insecurity is largely driven by back-to-back climate shocks including the impact of the 2023-2024 El Niño event that led to the worst mid-season dry spell in over 100 years and the lowest mid-season rainfall in 40 years. As a result, six countries have declared a state of disaster due to the severe drought, including Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, while Mauritius reported that July was the driest in 120 years. Failed or poor crop production and increased market prices for staple foods have further exacerbated the situation.

Around 24.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Other factors exacerbating the humanitarian situation in the region include conflict, diseases, economic shocks and high food prices.

Malnutrition rates have continued to spike in some areas in the region. Nutrition partners estimate that over 1.1 million children will be affected by severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in 2024. In Zimbabwe, child wasting rose to 4.9 per cent from 4 per cent between 2023 and 2024 in rural areas. In Malawi, between January and July 2024, there was a 14 per cent increase in severe acute malnutrition (SAM) admissions for children under age 5 (from 23,000 to 26,000), compared to the same period in 2023, according to the Nutrition Cluster.

The region continues to experience disease outbreaks including cholera, measles and mpox which was recently declared in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

There is a 60 per cent chance that La Niña will occur in the region from September to November and is expected to persist through January to March 2025. The Southern Africa region is projected to receive normal to above-normal rainfall with an exception of mostly eastern parts of the region which is expected to record normal to below normal rainfall including the Comoros and Seychelles and most of South Africa6.

Despite challenges, including limited funding and access in some countries, humanitarians continue to support people in need. However, out of the $1.4 billion required to reach 8.3 million people in need, only 30 per cent has been received.