About 1.2 million Zambians could face acute food insecurity from October this year to March next year due to an El Niño-induced drought, a senior government official says.
Announcing the latest seasonal rainfall outlook in Lusaka, the country’s capital on Friday, Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa said the figure represented 7% of the analysed population in 93 districts expected to experience drought during the 2026/2027 rainy season.
Kangwa urged early preparations for the challenging season, saying El Niño was expected to significantly influence weather patterns.
He said northern Zambia would receive normal to above-normal rainfall from October to December, while southern Zambia would experience below-normal rainfall.
“The contrasting rainfall patterns require targeted and proactive measures across climate-sensitive sectors,” he added.
He described the forecast as an early warning roadmap for safeguarding the country’s development gains and directed all provincial administrations to immediately implement multisectoral contingency plans.
Zambia experienced a severe drought during the 2023/2024 rainy season due to extreme weather associated with El Niño. According to the government, the drought affected crop production in 84 of the country’s 116 districts, leaving about 1.6 million people in need of food assistance.
- About 1.2 million Zambians, representing 7% of the analysed population in 93 districts, could face acute food insecurity from October 2026 to March 2027 due to an El Niño-induced drought.
- Northern Zambia is expected to receive normal to above-normal rainfall from October to December, while southern Zambia will experience below-normal rainfall during this period.
- Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa urged early preparations and directed all provincial administrations to implement multisectoral contingency plans.
- The 2026/2027 seasonal rainfall outlook serves as an early warning roadmap to safeguard Zambia's development gains amid challenging weather conditions.
- Zambia experienced a severe drought during the 2023/2024 rainy season, which affected crop production in 84 districts and resulted in 1.6 million people needing food assistance.
About 1.2 million
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He described the forecast as an early warning roadmap for safeguarding the country's development gains and directed all provincial administrations to immediately implement multisectoral contingency plans.
