{"id":395,"date":"2016-06-16T17:07:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-16T17:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mrmushava.wordpress.com\/2016\/06\/16\/hunger-a-regional-disaster\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T14:42:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T14:42:49","slug":"hunger-a-regional-disaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blockspaceballads.com\/?p=395","title":{"rendered":"Hunger \u2013 A Regional Disaster"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n
\"http:\/\/www.herald.co.zw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/WINNIE-CHISI-LAMENTS-HER-DRIED-CROP-IN-ZAKA.jpg\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Winnie Chisi in her drought-striken maize field <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
A shallow well in the sun-sapped sand bed of what was Dewure River this time yesteryear is the emergency sanctuary for drought-hit villagers.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Dewure, the largest river in Gutu, has not been spared the searing temperatures which have left lifeless trail across the country this cropping season.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
The improvised water source, adjacent to the bridge, gets one wondering: If El Nino does this in a green tree what has has it already done in the dry.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Sadly, there are limits to the human capacity for improvisation. In the nearby Mahaka village under Chief Nyamandi can only hope for a hand from someplace.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Cattle are literally grazing sand and when they succumb to the debilitating impact of the drought, some parts have to be discarded.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
“Cattle are dying for lack of water and pasture and those who succumb are found with sand in their stomachs,” says Levison Chiremba, a Nyahuni villager says.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
“Just this morning, an ox fell dead a few households away and villagers were called to see what they can do,” he says.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
A beast previously sold for $100 in the early stages is now selling for $20 but its still difficult to secure a buyer because the cattle are too thin.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Although the cattle pen is the African family’s traditional bank, their falling in the dry pastures is not even the final catastrophe. Increasingly, the immediate headache is where to find food for the day.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
“A bucket of maize now costs $10 and even that is not affordable. We need to contribute at least in threes in order to raise that money,” Chiremba says.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
“The other problem is water shortage of water. The borehole needs more power to draw water. Even with three people pumping, the borehole can take 45 minutes,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Schools used to be sanctuaries with less physically taxing and sometimes daily rations for students to withstand hunger. Not so this year, at least as of now.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cChildren are failing in school and failing to learn because they have nothing to it. They only get one meal per day,\u201d says Rober Nyabadza.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Presense Mpandawana concurs: \u201cStarvation is affecting our education because students are coming to school hungry. We cannot study on empty stomachs.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Most farmers across the country, especially smallholder, can only look on in dismay as thirsty stalks hunch lifelessly onto the ground.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Recent assessments by Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) revealed that, 2.82 million Zimbabweans, equivalent to one third of the rural population, are food-insecure as the cropping season was jeopardised by the most debilitating El Nino in years.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
In Southern Africa, 28 million did not have enough food to eat as at the close of 2015 and the outlook is bleak as most crops have already failed.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
According to the World Food Programme, prevalence of acute malnutrition among children aged under five in Zimbabwe stands at 5.7 percent, the highest level in 15 years.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Prevalence of acute malnutrition among children aged under five stands at 5.7 percent, the highest level in 15 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Nyabadza says some children in Nyahuni aredropping out of school because of hunger, which confirms reports to that effect in other parts of the country by aid agencies.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
On March 15, Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers declared a regional disaster in response to food insecurity, in a move that is expected to help mobilise for interventions.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
SADC Council of Ministers chairperson Honourable O.K Matambo said during the post-council media briefing that the regional body had adopted measures to mitigate natural disasters, particularly drought and food security.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
He said the council also approved the issuing of Statement of Appeal forassistance by Summit through the SADC chairperson consultation.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cCouncil also approved the establishment of a regional logistics team to coordinate a regional response in close collaboration with member states and international cooperating partners,” Matambo said.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
The SADC Council of Ministers also invited member states to provide immediate relief to meet the food and non-food requirements of the vulnerable populations in order to facilitate logistics and resource mobilisation, and scale up climate smart technologies on agriculture, energy, water and other pillar sectors.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Aid agencies have called on SADC governments to act swiftly, collaboratively, and generously in response to the declaration of a regional disaster by the Council of Ministers.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0Oxfam, Save the Children and Care issued a joint statement on Thursday last week warning stakeholders that if urgent interventions are not executed the number of food-insecure populations could quickly rise to 49 million.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cSADC\u2019s declaration of a regional emergency must be a clarion call for donors, national governments and the humanitarian community to act faster,\u201d said Save the Children\u2019s East and Southern Africa regional director David Wright.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cThe current El Ni\u00f1o is now the strongest on record, leaving millions in the path of severe droughts and destructive flooding which threaten the lives of families and children across the world. Without help, many children face hunger, disease, and futures deprived of the opportunities provided by education and protection.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
The agencies noted that the strength of El Nino is set to decrease over the first part of 2016 but its impact of people\u2019s lives will be felt much longer.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Oxfam\u2019s Daniel Sinnathamby said a lot of work is already underway to ensure that affected populations, especially women and children, can access enough food over the coming weeks and months, but much more need to be done to be equal to the challenge.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cThis current phenomenon is a strong sign of what we can expect from a climate-changed world – we need to meet people\u2019s immediate needs but we must address the longer-term issues which have made men, women and children in Southern Africa chronically vulnerable,\u201d Sinnathamby \u00a0warned.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cIt is increasingly difficult for people to access affordable staple foods across the region, therefore these measures are vital so that more people are able to cope, and ultimately survive,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Care\u2019s East, Central and Southern Africa regional director Emma Naylor-Ngugi her organisation is especially concerned about the impact of the crisis on women and girls: \u201cIncreasingly families are skipping meals and eating wild fruits to get by.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
The World Food Programme (WFP), which currently assists 80 million people in 80 countries has pledged more food and cash assistance for Zimbabwe.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cVulnerable people in Zimbabwe will continue to receive relief assistance from the United Nations\u2019 World Food Programme (WFP) through what is usually a period of bounty but which this year has turned into a time of want. WFP is extending its relief programme due to the punishing impact of El Ni\u00f1o on the food security of the country,\u201d WFP said in statement on Wednesday last week.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
The humanitarian agency\u2019s seasonal relief for vulnerable populations through difficult pre-harvest months, usually runs from October to March.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
WFP announced that in this year, for the first time ever, the programme will continue running throughout the year and into 2017.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cThe unprecedented decision is in response to last month\u2019s announcement by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) that 2.8 million people \u2013 more than a quarter of the rural population \u2013 do not have enough to eat and have little or no guaranteed access to food,” the organisation said in the statement.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cWFP is this month providing food and cash-based assistance to some 730,000 vulnerable people. Operations are being scaled up to reach an estimated 2.2 million people in the early months of next year, with the Government and development partners assisting the rest,\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
WFP Zimbabwe country director Eddie Rowe said rural communities in the country his organisation is working with Government and donors to mobilise assistance to the most vulnerable.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
The humanitarian agency is also working with rural communities to strengthen their resilience to climactic shocks.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
There is also widespread belief that resource-rich SADC countries must tap into their drought-proof repositories to meet the food requirements of their populations.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winnie Chisi in her drought-striken maize field A shallow well in the sun-sapped sand bed of what was Dewure River this time yesteryear is the emergency sanctuary for drought-hit villagers. Dewure, the largest river in Gutu, has not been spared the searing temperatures which have left lifeless trail across the country this cropping season. The improvised water source, adjacent to the bridge, gets one wondering: If El Nino does this in a green tree what has has it already done in the dry. Sadly, there are limits to the human capacity for improvisation. In the nearby Mahaka village under Chief Nyamandi can only hope for a hand from someplace. Cattle are literally grazing sand and when they succumb to the debilitating impact of the drought, some parts have to be discarded. “Cattle are dying for lack of water and pasture and those who succumb are found with sand in their stomachs,” says Levison Chiremba, a Nyahuni villager says. “Just this morning, an ox fell dead a few households away and villagers were called to see what they can do,” he says. A beast previously sold for $100 in the early stages is now selling for $20 but its still difficult to secure a buyer because the cattle are too thin. Although the cattle pen is the African family’s traditional bank, their falling in the dry pastures is not even the final catastrophe. Increasingly, the immediate headache is where to find food for the day.\u00a0 “A bucket of maize now costs $10 and even that is not affordable. We need to contribute at least in threes in order to raise that money,” Chiremba says. “The other problem is water shortage of water. The borehole needs more power to draw water. Even with three people pumping, the borehole can take 45 minutes,\u201d he says. Schools used to be sanctuaries with less physically taxing and sometimes daily rations for students to withstand hunger. Not so this year, at least as of now.\u00a0 \u201cChildren are failing in school and failing to learn because they have nothing to it. They only get one meal per day,\u201d says Rober Nyabadza. Presense Mpandawana concurs: \u201cStarvation is affecting our education because students are coming to school hungry. We cannot study on empty stomachs.\u201d Most farmers across the country, especially smallholder, can only look on in dismay as thirsty stalks hunch lifelessly onto the ground. Recent assessments by Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) revealed that, 2.82 million Zimbabweans, equivalent to one third of the rural population, are food-insecure as the cropping season was jeopardised by the most debilitating El Nino in years. In Southern Africa, 28 million did not have enough food to eat as at the close of 2015 and the outlook is bleak as most crops have already failed.\u00a0 According to the World Food Programme, prevalence of acute malnutrition among children aged under five in Zimbabwe stands at 5.7 percent, the highest level in 15 years. Prevalence of acute malnutrition among children aged under five stands at 5.7 percent, the highest level in 15 years.\u00a0 Nyabadza says some children in Nyahuni aredropping out of school because of hunger, which confirms reports to that effect in other parts of the country by aid agencies. On March 15, Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers declared a regional disaster in response to food insecurity, in a move that is expected to help mobilise for interventions.\u00a0 SADC Council of Ministers chairperson Honourable O.K Matambo said during the post-council media briefing that the regional body had adopted measures to mitigate natural disasters, particularly drought and food security.\u00a0 He said the council also approved the issuing of Statement of Appeal forassistance by Summit through the SADC chairperson consultation. \u201cCouncil also approved the establishment of a regional logistics team to coordinate a regional response in close collaboration with member states and international cooperating partners,” Matambo said. The SADC Council of Ministers also invited member states to provide immediate relief to meet the food and non-food requirements of the vulnerable populations in order to facilitate logistics and resource mobilisation, and scale up climate smart technologies on agriculture, energy, water and other pillar sectors. Aid agencies have called on SADC governments to act swiftly, collaboratively, and generously in response to the declaration of a regional disaster by the Council of Ministers. \u00a0Oxfam, Save the Children and Care issued a joint statement on Thursday last week warning stakeholders that if urgent interventions are not executed the number of food-insecure populations could quickly rise to 49 million.\u00a0 \u201cSADC\u2019s declaration of a regional emergency must be a clarion call for donors, national governments and the humanitarian community to act faster,\u201d said Save the Children\u2019s East and Southern Africa regional director David Wright. \u201cThe current El Ni\u00f1o is now the strongest on record, leaving millions in the path of severe droughts and destructive flooding which threaten the lives of families and children across the world. Without help, many children face hunger, disease, and futures deprived of the opportunities provided by education and protection.\u201d The agencies noted that the strength of El Nino is set to decrease over the first part of 2016 but its impact of people\u2019s lives will be felt much longer. Oxfam\u2019s Daniel Sinnathamby said a lot of work is already underway to ensure that affected populations, especially women and children, can access enough food over the coming weeks and months, but much more need to be done to be equal to the challenge. \u201cThis current phenomenon is a strong sign of what we can expect from a climate-changed world – we need to meet people\u2019s immediate needs but we must address the longer-term issues which have made men, women and children in Southern Africa chronically vulnerable,\u201d Sinnathamby \u00a0warned. \u201cIt is increasingly difficult for people to access affordable staple foods across the region, therefore these measures are vital so that more people are able to cope, and ultimately survive,\u201d he added. Care\u2019s East, Central and Southern Africa regional director Emma Naylor-Ngugi her organisation is especially<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[105],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-environment"],"yoast_head":"\nHunger \u2013 A Regional Disaster | Blockspace<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blockspaceballads.com\/?p=395\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hunger \u2013 A Regional Disaster | Blockspace\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Winnie Chisi in her drought-striken maize field A shallow well in the sun-sapped sand bed of what was Dewure River this time yesteryear is the emergency sanctuary for drought-hit villagers. Dewure, the largest river in Gutu, has not been spared the searing temperatures which have left lifeless trail across the country this cropping season. The improvised water source, adjacent to the bridge, gets one wondering: If El Nino does this in a green tree what has has it already done in the dry. Sadly, there are limits to the human capacity for improvisation. In the nearby Mahaka village under Chief Nyamandi can only hope for a hand from someplace. Cattle are literally grazing sand and when they succumb to the debilitating impact of the drought, some parts have to be discarded. “Cattle are dying for lack of water and pasture and those who succumb are found with sand in their stomachs,” says Levison Chiremba, a Nyahuni villager says. “Just this morning, an ox fell dead a few households away and villagers were called to see what they can do,” he says. A beast previously sold for $100 in the early stages is now selling for $20 but its still difficult to secure a buyer because the cattle are too thin. Although the cattle pen is the African family’s traditional bank, their falling in the dry pastures is not even the final catastrophe. Increasingly, the immediate headache is where to find food for the day.\u00a0 “A bucket of maize now costs $10 and even that is not affordable. We need to contribute at least in threes in order to raise that money,” Chiremba says. “The other problem is water shortage of water. The borehole needs more power to draw water. Even with three people pumping, the borehole can take 45 minutes,\u201d he says. Schools used to be sanctuaries with less physically taxing and sometimes daily rations for students to withstand hunger. Not so this year, at least as of now.\u00a0 \u201cChildren are failing in school and failing to learn because they have nothing to it. They only get one meal per day,\u201d says Rober Nyabadza. Presense Mpandawana concurs: \u201cStarvation is affecting our education because students are coming to school hungry. We cannot study on empty stomachs.\u201d Most farmers across the country, especially smallholder, can only look on in dismay as thirsty stalks hunch lifelessly onto the ground. Recent assessments by Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) revealed that, 2.82 million Zimbabweans, equivalent to one third of the rural population, are food-insecure as the cropping season was jeopardised by the most debilitating El Nino in years. In Southern Africa, 28 million did not have enough food to eat as at the close of 2015 and the outlook is bleak as most crops have already failed.\u00a0 According to the World Food Programme, prevalence of acute malnutrition among children aged under five in Zimbabwe stands at 5.7 percent, the highest level in 15 years. Prevalence of acute malnutrition among children aged under five stands at 5.7 percent, the highest level in 15 years.\u00a0 Nyabadza says some children in Nyahuni aredropping out of school because of hunger, which confirms reports to that effect in other parts of the country by aid agencies. On March 15, Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers declared a regional disaster in response to food insecurity, in a move that is expected to help mobilise for interventions.\u00a0 SADC Council of Ministers chairperson Honourable O.K Matambo said during the post-council media briefing that the regional body had adopted measures to mitigate natural disasters, particularly drought and food security.\u00a0 He said the council also approved the issuing of Statement of Appeal forassistance by Summit through the SADC chairperson consultation. \u201cCouncil also approved the establishment of a regional logistics team to coordinate a regional response in close collaboration with member states and international cooperating partners,” Matambo said. The SADC Council of Ministers also invited member states to provide immediate relief to meet the food and non-food requirements of the vulnerable populations in order to facilitate logistics and resource mobilisation, and scale up climate smart technologies on agriculture, energy, water and other pillar sectors. Aid agencies have called on SADC governments to act swiftly, collaboratively, and generously in response to the declaration of a regional disaster by the Council of Ministers. \u00a0Oxfam, Save the Children and Care issued a joint statement on Thursday last week warning stakeholders that if urgent interventions are not executed the number of food-insecure populations could quickly rise to 49 million.\u00a0 \u201cSADC\u2019s declaration of a regional emergency must be a clarion call for donors, national governments and the humanitarian community to act faster,\u201d said Save the Children\u2019s East and Southern Africa regional director David Wright. \u201cThe current El Ni\u00f1o is now the strongest on record, leaving millions in the path of severe droughts and destructive flooding which threaten the lives of families and children across the world. Without help, many children face hunger, disease, and futures deprived of the opportunities provided by education and protection.\u201d The agencies noted that the strength of El Nino is set to decrease over the first part of 2016 but its impact of people\u2019s lives will be felt much longer. Oxfam\u2019s Daniel Sinnathamby said a lot of work is already underway to ensure that affected populations, especially women and children, can access enough food over the coming weeks and months, but much more need to be done to be equal to the challenge. \u201cThis current phenomenon is a strong sign of what we can expect from a climate-changed world – we need to meet people\u2019s immediate needs but we must address the longer-term issues which have made men, women and children in Southern Africa chronically vulnerable,\u201d Sinnathamby \u00a0warned. \u201cIt is increasingly difficult for people to access affordable staple foods across the region, therefore these measures are vital so that more people are able to cope, and ultimately survive,\u201d he added. Care\u2019s East, Central and Southern Africa regional director Emma Naylor-Ngugi her organisation is especially\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blockspaceballads.com\/?p=395\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blockspace\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-06-16T17:07:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-25T14:42:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.herald.co.zw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/WINNIE-CHISI-LAMENTS-HER-DRIED-CROP-IN-ZAKA.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"hardsouth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"hardsouth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" 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Dewure, the largest river in Gutu, has not been spared the searing temperatures which have left lifeless trail across the country this cropping season. The improvised water source, adjacent to the bridge, gets one wondering: If El Nino does this in a green tree what has has it already done in the dry. Sadly, there are limits to the human capacity for improvisation. In the nearby Mahaka village under Chief Nyamandi can only hope for a hand from someplace. Cattle are literally grazing sand and when they succumb to the debilitating impact of the drought, some parts have to be discarded. “Cattle are dying for lack of water and pasture and those who succumb are found with sand in their stomachs,” says Levison Chiremba, a Nyahuni villager says. “Just this morning, an ox fell dead a few households away and villagers were called to see what they can do,” he says. A beast previously sold for $100 in the early stages is now selling for $20 but its still difficult to secure a buyer because the cattle are too thin. Although the cattle pen is the African family’s traditional bank, their falling in the dry pastures is not even the final catastrophe. Increasingly, the immediate headache is where to find food for the day.\u00a0 “A bucket of maize now costs $10 and even that is not affordable. We need to contribute at least in threes in order to raise that money,” Chiremba says. “The other problem is water shortage of water. The borehole needs more power to draw water. Even with three people pumping, the borehole can take 45 minutes,\u201d he says. Schools used to be sanctuaries with less physically taxing and sometimes daily rations for students to withstand hunger. Not so this year, at least as of now.\u00a0 \u201cChildren are failing in school and failing to learn because they have nothing to it. They only get one meal per day,\u201d says Rober Nyabadza. Presense Mpandawana concurs: \u201cStarvation is affecting our education because students are coming to school hungry. We cannot study on empty stomachs.\u201d Most farmers across the country, especially smallholder, can only look on in dismay as thirsty stalks hunch lifelessly onto the ground. Recent assessments by Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) revealed that, 2.82 million Zimbabweans, equivalent to one third of the rural population, are food-insecure as the cropping season was jeopardised by the most debilitating El Nino in years. In Southern Africa, 28 million did not have enough food to eat as at the close of 2015 and the outlook is bleak as most crops have already failed.\u00a0 According to the World Food Programme, prevalence of acute malnutrition among children aged under five in Zimbabwe stands at 5.7 percent, the highest level in 15 years. Prevalence of acute malnutrition among children aged under five stands at 5.7 percent, the highest level in 15 years.\u00a0 Nyabadza says some children in Nyahuni aredropping out of school because of hunger, which confirms reports to that effect in other parts of the country by aid agencies. On March 15, Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers declared a regional disaster in response to food insecurity, in a move that is expected to help mobilise for interventions.\u00a0 SADC Council of Ministers chairperson Honourable O.K Matambo said during the post-council media briefing that the regional body had adopted measures to mitigate natural disasters, particularly drought and food security.\u00a0 He said the council also approved the issuing of Statement of Appeal forassistance by Summit through the SADC chairperson consultation. \u201cCouncil also approved the establishment of a regional logistics team to coordinate a regional response in close collaboration with member states and international cooperating partners,” Matambo said. The SADC Council of Ministers also invited member states to provide immediate relief to meet the food and non-food requirements of the vulnerable populations in order to facilitate logistics and resource mobilisation, and scale up climate smart technologies on agriculture, energy, water and other pillar sectors. Aid agencies have called on SADC governments to act swiftly, collaboratively, and generously in response to the declaration of a regional disaster by the Council of Ministers. \u00a0Oxfam, Save the Children and Care issued a joint statement on Thursday last week warning stakeholders that if urgent interventions are not executed the number of food-insecure populations could quickly rise to 49 million.\u00a0 \u201cSADC\u2019s declaration of a regional emergency must be a clarion call for donors, national governments and the humanitarian community to act faster,\u201d said Save the Children\u2019s East and Southern Africa regional director David Wright. \u201cThe current El Ni\u00f1o is now the strongest on record, leaving millions in the path of severe droughts and destructive flooding which threaten the lives of families and children across the world. Without help, many children face hunger, disease, and futures deprived of the opportunities provided by education and protection.\u201d The agencies noted that the strength of El Nino is set to decrease over the first part of 2016 but its impact of people\u2019s lives will be felt much longer. Oxfam\u2019s Daniel Sinnathamby said a lot of work is already underway to ensure that affected populations, especially women and children, can access enough food over the coming weeks and months, but much more need to be done to be equal to the challenge. \u201cThis current phenomenon is a strong sign of what we can expect from a climate-changed world – we need to meet people\u2019s immediate needs but we must address the longer-term issues which have made men, women and children in Southern Africa chronically vulnerable,\u201d Sinnathamby \u00a0warned. \u201cIt is increasingly difficult for people to access affordable staple foods across the region, therefore these measures are vital so that more people are able to cope, and ultimately survive,\u201d he added. Care\u2019s East, Central and Southern Africa regional director Emma Naylor-Ngugi her organisation is especially","og_url":"https:\/\/blockspaceballads.com\/?p=395","og_site_name":"Blockspace","article_published_time":"2016-06-16T17:07:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-25T14:42:49+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.herald.co.zw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/WINNIE-CHISI-LAMENTS-HER-DRIED-CROP-IN-ZAKA.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"hardsouth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"hardsouth","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blockspaceballads.com\/?p=395#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blockspaceballads.com\/?p=395"},"author":{"name":"hardsouth","@id":"https:\/\/blockspaceballads.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a336a678f28eacb341ce63c6b84b17d0"},"headline":"Hunger \u2013 A Regional 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