European Commission on mobilizing €22.8mn for hunger needs in south African countries

On Thursday, January 16, the European Commission has declared that it is mobilizing a humanitarian aid package of around 22.8 million euros to help address emergency food requirements and support vulnerable people in five southern African countries staring hunger following poor harvests.

A Slovenian diplomat Janez Lenarčič, who nominated as European Commissioner for Crisis Management in the Von der Leyen Commission, said that the aid package would help 'fragile rural communities' and other vulnerable families in Zambia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Madagascar and Zimbabwe to tackle hunger.

"Many poor households in drought-affected areas in southern African countries are struggling to have enough food due to crop failure, reduced access to water and, in some places, unaffordable food prices in markets," Lenarčič said.

The funding comes as millions of people are said to be facing starvation in parts of the Southern African Development Community on the back of one of the harshest drought in decades, APA News reported. According to Janez Lenarčič, over 16.8 million euros or around 74 percent of the aid package would go towards boosting food and nutrition assistance for Zimbabwe including improving access to basic health care, clean water and providing protection to vulnerable people in the impoverished country.

Around half of the population in Zimbabwe or about 7.7 million people are at the risk of severe hunger, placing the country among the states facing one of the worst food crises in the world. He further added that the remainder of the aid package would be channelled towards providing food assistance and nutrition support in Eswatini, Madagascar, Lesotho and Zambia.