Southern Africa experiencing worst El Nino-induced drought in 35 years: OCHA
Xinhua, July 16, 2016 Adjust font size:
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that Southern Africa is experiencing the worst El Nino-induced drought in 35 years, following the failure of two consecutive rainy seasons, a UN spokesman told reporters here Friday.
Nearly 40 million people in the region are food insecure, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.
The UN assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Kyung-wha Kang, is scheduled to visit Malawi and Madagascar on July 16-22 to see the impact of El Nino in Southern Africa, he said.
During her visit, Kang is expected to meet representatives of affected communities, government officials and humanitarian representatives in Malawi and Madagascar to discuss the effects of the drought and the efforts currently underway to address people's needs, he added.
This year's El Nino is taking place in a world already dramatically affected by climate change.
More extreme weather events are expected in the future, and these hit the poorest communities -- those least responsible for climate change -- first and hardest.
Aid is not enough; a longer term approach is required in order to build the resilience of the most vulnerable. Endit