Hunger: South Africa Suffering from Drought affecting 78 mn people

In 2024, Southern Africa was hit by a drought caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon, which led to heatwaves and crop losses. The drought began in early 2024 and affected about 68 million people, including in Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. The drought damaged livestock and crops, dried up water sources, and caused food shortages.

As a result, more than 30 million people were facing hunger, undernourishment, and water scarcity. Some countries declared states of disaster and asked for international support. 

The El Niño events are made worse by climate change, which can cause temperatures to be five degrees higher than in previous years. Some say the drought is not normal and that they can't remember the last time it was this bad, which was in 1947.

The crisis is expected to worsen as aid groups face budget cuts and focus on other conflicts