By James Kunda
LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - Close to 10 million people in Zambia, or around half the country's population, are being affected by an El Nino-induced drought, a senior government official said Tuesday.
Vice President Mutale Nalumango said the situation has left an estimated 6.6 million people in need of food assistance.
''Of these close to 10 million, 6.6 million need support from the government (in terms of relief food) in one way or the other," said Nalumango, while assuring that no citizen would be left to starve.
She was speaking in Mumbwa District in Zambia's Central Province, where she toured devastated crop fields and engaged with local communities.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema declared the drought, which has severely affected six of the country's 10 provinces, a national disaster and emergency in late February, rallying a call for international support to restore food security in the southern African country, which is regarded as a “regional bread basket.”
This is because most neighboring countries often look to Zambia for food, especially grain and maize meal.
Following Hichilema's declaration, several cooperating partners have stepped up to support the country with relief efforts, including Türkiye, which through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) donated food hampers to vulnerable communities in commemoration of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.