Hunger in Zambia Set to Dramatically Worsen as El Niño Looms

Lusaka: The number of people facing crisis levels of hunger in Zambia is projected to jump 72%, as anticipated El Niño drought and the conflict in the Middle East threaten to push more families into hunger, Save the Children said.According to Save the Children, about 1.2 million people, or 5% of the population, are expected to face acute food insecurity between October this year and next March, up from nearly 700,000 people currently, based on new data from the global hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).Across Zambia, the anticipated super El Niño phenomenon is expected to bring prolonged dry spells and below-average rainfall, resulting in poor crop performance, reduced agricultural production, and localized crop failures.The conflict in the Middle East, now in its sixth month, is also worsening food insecurity in Zambia, as higher fuel and fertilizer prices have increased food prices and made food less affordable for vulnerable households, according to the IPC report .The worsening food crisis is expected to hit women and young children hardest. Many women report currently eating only one or two meals a day, while children under five in several provinces are experiencing inadequate meal frequency, increasing their risk of malnutrition, poor growth, and adverse developmental outcomes for children.About 32% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Zambia are stunted, according to the latest findings from Zambia Demographic and Health Survey.Chilobe Kambikambi, Save the Children's Country Director in Zambia, stressed the urgency of the situation: "Children are often the first to suffer when food becomes scarce, with consequences that can last a lifetime. No child should have to endure the pain of hunger, yet the latest projections show that more families across Zambia could soon struggle to put food on the table.A 72% increase in the number of people facing acute food insecurity is alarming. Without swift support, parents will increasingly be forced to make impossible choi ces between feeding their children, or meeting other basic needs.The surge in the number of people facing acute food insecurity highlights how climate-related shocks, crop losses and poverty continue to undermine children's wellbeing, who are more than half of Zambia's population. We must act now, before the lean season peaks, to ensure families have the support they need to keep children healthy, nourished and in school."Save the Children is supporting efforts to strengthen child-sensitive social protection and build the resilience of families facing poverty, food insecurity, and climate-related shocks. This includes promoting approaches that link social assistance with health, nutrition, education, and other essential services, helping families meet children's immediate needs while strengthening their ability to withstand future shocks.Save the Children has been working in Zambia, implementing programs across Child Rights Governance (CRG), Health and Nutrition, Child Protection, Education, Child Pover ty, and Humanitarian thematic areas since 1983.