El Nino-induced drought leaves 300,000 people in Swaziland in need of aid: UN

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that an El Nino-induced drought in Swaziland has left at least 300,000 people, a third of the nation's population, in dire need of humanitarian assistance, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Friday.

Food and water are especially needed. "The risk of water-borne diseases and malnutrition has also risen, due to the water shortages and poor sanitary conditions," Dujarric said at a daily news briefing, adding education has also been affected.

According to the government of Swaziland, 80.5 million U.S. dollars are needed for life-saving programmes and to mitigate the effects of the drought.

Swaziland is one of several Southern African countries which have been hard-hit by El Nino-related droughts. Others include Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The warm-water phenomenon, El Nino, has dried up rainfall across southern Africa over the last year, killing crops and disrupting hydropower production. South Africa, previously an exporter of grain, will have to import 5-6 million tones of maize due to the severe drought.

This year, high temperatures, low rains despite being in the rainy season, weaker food production and more threats of food insecurity - all ascribed to El Nino, are expected to continue to exert negative impact on the region. Enditem