Malawi follows Zambia in declaring drought disaster as El Niño brings hunger to southern Africa

By GERALD IMRAY
Associated Press

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The southern African nation of Malawi has declared a state of disaster over drought in 23 of its 28 districts. The president says it urgently needs more than $200 million in humanitarian assistance. Malawi is the latest country in the region to have its food supply crippled by a prolonged and severe dry spell linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon. The plea for help from Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera Saturday night came less than a month after neighboring Zambia declared a national disaster over drought. A third country, Zimbabwe, has also seen its crops decimated. It underlines concerns raised by the U.N.’s World Food Programme late last year that numerous nations in southern Africa were on the brink of a hunger crisis.