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Southern Africa’s Drought Continues As UN Calls For Billions To Help Feed The Starving

By Jinger Jarrett
Published on: 21:13 PST, Jul 20, 2016

As Southern Africa suffers the worst drought in 35 years, the United Nations has called for $204 million in money for food to provide relief. They are asking for money for seven countries. Those include Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. Both South Africa and Botswana have been omitted from the list, even though South Africa is currently struggling with the drought. Farm murders have compounded the problem, as there are fewer farmers in South Africa now, and the South African government has failed to act to solve the problems farmers are facing.

News 24 reported that the UN is calling for the money so that food can be purchased and delivered to feed the millions of people in the region that are starving. The country hardest hit by the El Nino-caused drought is Malawi. Although the food has been requested to feed about 18 million people, the projections are that about 33 million people will need assistance.

World Food Program Executive Director Ertharin Cousin said that the need would be higher because of El Nino, and a La Nina storm causing flooding is expected.

“This year’s crisis is a food availability problem. We’re seeing alarming increases in people facing hunger in several countries.”

As previously reported in The Inquisitr, South Africa is struggling as farm attacks have increased, and the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party, is continuing to lose support. Farming has become the most dangerous occupation in the world, and South Africa is having to import some of its food in order to feed its people. The South African government has failed to stop the attacks and murders.

Global Research reported that South Africa’s problems are compounded by the fact that there may be a color revolution in progress, and the American and French embassies may be involved in a plot to topple the governments of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe accused the respective embassies of being involved with the plot after their ambassadors met with Pastor Evan Mawarire shortly before he began his campaign.

If the color revolution plot succeeds, it could lead to the destabilization of the region, with Zimbabwe being the tripwire for events that could return South Africa to its Cold War era conflict, and the region could become the latest Cold War battleground. The United States has been accused of trying to unseat Zimbabwe leader President Robert Mugabe in a previous color revolution that took place in 2008.

Eyewitness News reported that there has been a 150 percent increase in people in Malawi without enough to eat. There has also been a 99 percent increase in needing food in Swaziland and a 53 percent increase in Lesotho. The $204 million will be used to feed the drought stricken countries in Southern Africa.

Voice of America reported that Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, announced that more U.S. funds will be used to feed people in Malawi. Biden’s trip to Malawi includes a three country stop. So far the U. S. has donated about $70 million to Malawi to help feed the people there. Malawi declared a state of emergency there in April.

Southern Africa’s drought has put food security in the region in jeopardy. A state of emergency has been declared in all of the seven countries that are seeking food assistance. It has also affected employment numbers for farm workers, particularly in South Africa, and now employment numbers are shrinking.

[Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images]

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