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CONTEXT
Zambia is currently facing one of its most severe droughts in recent history, impacting approximately 9.8 million people, with over 6 million in critical need of support. The drought, officially declared a national disaster in February 2024, has caused widespread food insecurity, water shortages, and economic instability, particularly in the rural regions of the Southern and Western Provinces. These areas, heavily reliant on agriculture and livestock, have seen livelihoods significantly impacted as crops fail and water sources dry up. Many communities are now forced to rely on unsustainable activities, such as charcoal production and timber cutting, which exacerbate environmental degradation and further entrench the cycle of vulnerability.
These factors have triggered numerous displacements in the area, aggravating humanitarian needs. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), through its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) and in collaboration with the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), launched a displacement monitoring exercise, targeting the Southern, and Western Provinces (areas of departure) and Northwestern Province (arrival destination). Between 12 November and 12 December 2024, DTM teams conducted drought assessments in the three provinces focused on the number of internally displaced persons (IDP) arrivals, departures, and returns due to drought and other climate-related factors, as well as basic needs and vulnerabilities of each population group.