The World Bank has approved a $208 million grant to help Zambia combat the severe drought affecting the region. Announced by Zambia’s Finance Ministry, the grant aims to assist Lusaka in mitigating the drought’s impact by providing direct cash transfers to affected households. The grant will support over 1.6 million households across 84 drought-impacted districts for 12 months, doubling the monthly aid per household from $8.30 to $16.60. The drought, Southern Africa’s worst in recent years, has severely impacted food production across the region, with Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe all declaring a state of disaster. According to experts, the drought is the result of a combination of factors, which includes the El Nino weather pattern and the higher average temperatures generated by greenhouse gas emissions. Zambia has been hit particularly hard, with the UN stating it is experiencing its driest agricultural season in over four decades, necessitating the need for aid.
SOURCE: DW