On Thursday, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema declared the country's crippling drought a national disaster and emergency, claiming it has devastated food production and electricity generation as the nation struggles to recover from a recent deadly cholera outbreak.
Like some neighbors, the country in southern Africa is experiencing a severe drought, as the El Nino weather pattern intensifies the extreme weather conditions partly caused by climate change.
Zambia Declares National Emergency Over Drought
Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema addresses media after talks in Kyiv on June 16, 2023. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on June 16, 2023 called on Ukraine and Russia to de-escalate their conflict, as he arrived in the war-torn country on a mission to broker peace.
In a televised national speech from the capital, Lusaka, on Thursday, Hichilema said the southern African country has not seen rain for five weeks when farmers need it the most. Hichilema claimed that this exacerbated the effects of another dry spell and flooding that struck the nation last year.
"The destruction caused by the prolonged drought spell is immense," he added. The dry spell has already affected 84 of the country's 116 districts.
According to Hichilema, the crisis is worsened by climate change and the El Nino weather phenomena, threatening the country's electricity, water, and food supply. Zambia's main source of electricity is hydroelectric power.
As a result, the president declared a prolonged drought a national disaster due to these challenges. The measure allows for additional resources to address the situation, with the drought expected to last well into March.
El Nino's impact on the 2023-2024 rainy season has caused Zambia to lose one million hectares (2.5 million acres) of its 2.2 million planted crops.
Hichilema said that almost half of the country's "planted area" has been destroyed. He vowed to make humanitarian aid available to prevent hunger and urged his cooperating partners to offer assistance beyond the grain.
Furthermore, he also planned to import and ration electricity to maintain the economy and industries running, especially the heavily power-dependent mines. Zambia is the second-biggest copper producer in Africa.
The president has warned that this year's energy sector was expected to have a shortfall of approximately 450 or above 500 megawatts. He said that the 2024 national budget will be re-aligned to allow greater resources to be allocated towards addressing the impact of the drought. Hichilema added the current projections are that over a million farming households will be affected.
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Zambia Pushes To Resolve Debt
Following a three-year default, Zambia attempts to rework its debt through the G20 Common Framework, a program designed to ensure swift and smooth debt overhauls for low-income nations.
Hichilema urged Zambia's official and private creditors to quickly complete its debt restructuring process, citing the country's severe situation. "If this process does not close, it's not just an indictment on Zambia but the global system," he said.
The naturally occurring El Nino climate pattern appeared in mid-2023 and usually raises global temperatures for a year. It is currently causing record heat and flames across the world.
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