As one of the worst droughts in living memory ravages southern Africa, nearly 70 million people are grappling with severe shortages of food and water.
The crisis, exacerbated by failed rains and the El Niño weather phenomenon, has left communities across the region in dire straits, with many forced to make do with dwindling resources.
In Mudzi district in northern Zimbabwe, the impact of the drought is particularly stark. The Vombozi River, which once flowed year-round, is now reduced to a dry expanse of beige sand.
The sight is a chilling reminder of the severity of the crisis, with locals and their livestock gathered at the riverbed in a desperate bid to extract the last drops of water.
Residents, armed with shovels and buckets, are laboriously digging into the riverbed. The river, which once provided a consistent water source, has now become a mere shadow of its former self.
The increased demand on this dwindling resource is evident, as more and more people flock to the area, exacerbating the strain on the already scarce supply.
Gracious Phiri, a 43-year-old mother of five, is one of those affected. She describes the situation to the BBC, revealing the harsh reality faced by many.
“I have never seen anything like this,” says Phiri, who now travels three hours daily to fetch water.
The water she retrieves from the half-meter-wide holes is brown and polluted, posing health risks to her family. “The cattle are drinking from the same pit as us. Their urine is right there… it is not very healthy,” she adds.
Food shortages are equally severe in Mudzi. Approximately 7.7 million people across Zimbabwe are facing hunger, with the number of families accessing adequate, nutritious food having plummeted by more than half compared to previous years.
The local health authority reports a dramatic increase in hospital admissions for malnutrition among children, with numbers doubling since June.
In response to the crisis, a village feeding program was initiated, providing a weekly porridge enriched with ground baobab fruit, peanut butter, milk, and leafy greens. However, the program has been severely impacted by the drought.
Ingredients such as cow-peas and beans have become scarce due to poor harvests. Kudzai Madamombe, Mudzi district’s medical officer, explains the gravity of the situation: “Because the rains didn’t come, we suffered a 100% loss in terms of all the crop. The program might be forced to stop altogether in the next month as food stocks dwindle.”
The drought has also strained healthcare services in the region. Boreholes that supply water to a quarter of clinics in Mudzi have dried up, and the major dam in the district has only a month’s supply of water left.
This has led to the suspension of vegetable irrigation schemes that supported local farmers, further compounding the food crisis.
Tambudzai Mahachi, 36, is one such farmer who has been severely impacted. Despite her efforts to cultivate maize, cow-peas, and peanuts, her crops have failed, leaving her unable to provide for her family.
“In a good year, I would normally supply markets in Harare. But now I am among the millions relying on handouts,” she says. Mahachi has had to ration meals for her children, resorting to boiling wheat provided by a charitable neighbor.
The drought’s impact extends beyond Zimbabwe, affecting a third of southern Africa’s countries. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has appealed for $5.5 billion in aid to address the crisis.
However, only a fraction of this amount has been received so far. The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that it has only received one-fifth of the $400 million needed for emergency assistance.
“Southern Africa is experiencing its largest deficit in maize in 15 years,” says Tomson Phiri, spokesperson for the WFP. “The situation is only going to get worse.”
With October, the hottest and driest month of the year, still ahead, the crisis is expected to deepen.
If the rains come in November or December, farmers will face a long wait until March for their maize harvest. For many, the uncertainty about the coming months is a heavy burden.
As the region continues to struggle, the resilience of communities like those in Mudzi is tested daily.
While efforts are being made to alleviate the immediate impacts of the drought, the scale of the crisis demands a concerted response from both local and international actors.
For individuals like Gracious Phiri and Tambudzai Mahachi, the coming months will be a crucial period as they navigate the challenges posed by this unprecedented drought.
