×

We've got news for you.

Register on SowetanLIVE at no cost to receive newsletters, read exclusive articles & more.
Register now

Deaths, hunger stalk Zimbabwe

Child hunger and deaths are rising in Zimbabwe due to the worst drought in two decades, with thousands facing starvation by the end of the year without additional aid, an international charity said yesterday.

Southern Africa has been hard hit by drought over the past year exacerbated by El Nino, which has wilted crops, slowed economic growth and driven food prices higher.

"This is an emergency," Save the Children UK's interim chief executive Tanya Steele said after visiting Binga, on Zimbabwe's western border with Zambia.

"Some children are already dying of complications from malnutrition."

Mothers are foraging for wild berries and roots to feed their children, while going without food themselves for up to five days, the charity said.

The number of under-fives who have died of hunger-related causes in Binga has reached 200 over the last 18 months - triple the usual rate, it said.

More than 60 million people, two thirds of them in east and southern Africa, are facing food shortages because of droughts linked to El Nino, according to the UN.

The UN World Food Programme estimates around four million people - one in three Zimbabweans - are struggling to meet their basic food needs.

The peak of the emergency is likely to be between October and March, the UN children's fund said.

Hundreds of young children are being admitted to hospital for malnutrition each month, it said, while child neglect, abuse and child labour are on the rise.

HIV/Aids is one of the underlying causes of malnutrition in Zimbabwe, where 15% of adults are living with the disease, UN figures show.

The number of children suffering malnutrition is expected to rise in the coming months, Save the Children said.

"Most of the malnourished children who receive no help are likely to die. Half of these with acute malnutrition could also perish without some form of intervention." - Reuters

 

Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.