UN humanitarians launch appeal for drought-hit Zambia

UNITED NATIONS - While wide-spread flooding challenges East Africa, UN humanitarians have launched an appeal for landlocked Zambia suffering from drought, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.

Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the appeal of $228 million would assist 4.6 million people between now and December.

"Zambia is experiencing its driest agricultural season in more than 40 years, resulting in crop losses, increased livestock deaths and worsening poverty," Dujarric said.

"Nearly half of the 2 million hectares of maize planted in the country have been destroyed by the drought and, according to authorities, cereal production is forecasted to decline by nearly 50 percent this year," he said.

The spokesman said the government reported that more than 9 million people -- nearly half the population -- are food insecure and need humanitarian assistance.

The spokesman said Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths released $13.5 million from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) last month to shore up support to address the El Nino-induced drought in southern Africa. Zambia received $5.5 million of the CERF allocation in April and an earlier $2.5 million allocation.

He said the government declared a national drought disaster back in February.

As for the East Africa drought victims, Dujarric said the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is working with the governments and UN humanitarian partners in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

The spokesman said that in Burundi, IOM provides emergency shelter, blankets, dignity kits and other items to more than 5,000 people and supports relocating those affected to safer and less flood-prone areas.

He said that in Kenya, IOM and partners reported delivering shelter and essential household items to support 39,000 people in the country's most severely flood-impacted parts.

He said that IOM targets approximately 240,000 people in neighboring Somalia with shelter materials and other essential items and services.

The spokesman said that in Ethiopia, IOM has supported over 70,000 people impacted by floods across the Somali and Oromia regions.

"The agency says that at this critical moment, the call remains urgent for sustainable efforts to address human mobility spurred by a changing climate," Dujarric said.