Staff Writer
At least 67.7 million people in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region have been negatively impacted by the effects of an El Niño-induced drought, the regional bloc’s Executive Secretary Elias Magosi has revealed.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 44th SADC Summit of heads of state and government, Magosi said the region is grappling with the severe consequences of the 2023/24 El Niño phenomenon, which has triggered a humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people.
“The 2023/24 rainfall season has been a challenging one with most parts of the region experiencing the negative effects of the El Niño phenomenon, characterised by a late onset of rains, extended mid-season dry spells, and extremely high temperatures,” he said.
“As a result of the El Niño, an estimated 67.7 million people in the region, representing more than 17% of the regional population, have been negatively affected.”
El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. This warming disrupts weather patterns globally, leading to a variety of impacts.
The southern African region is heavily reliant on rain-fed agriculture, and the irregular rainfall patterns associated with El Niño often lead to crop failures, food shortages, and economic instability.
In response to the crisis, SADC Chairperson João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço convened an extraordinary summit in May to address the humanitarian situation caused by droughts and floods.
The meeting culminated in the launch of a SADC Regional Humanitarian Appeal seeking a staggering US$5.5 billion to support affected populations and disaster recovery efforts.
Lourenço expressed concern over the inadequate funding mobilised thus far to address the humanitarian crisis triggered by the El Niño phenomenon.
“I have to say with some concern that the figures mobilised so far are well below the estimate set at the Summit I mentioned a moment ago, so I would like to reiterate the same appeal to national, regional and international partners, the private sector and the Member States, to make an extra effort to get us closer to the figures we need to provide assistance to the people affected in our region by the El Niño phenomenon,” he said at the summit.
The appeal underscores the immense scale of the crisis and the urgent need for international support to mitigate its impact.
