By Brandon Moss The Ugandan government has launched an emergency food relief programme to support thousands of families in the drought-stricken Karamoja sub-region, where prolonged dry conditions have severely affected agricultural production and food security. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja announced that approximately 9.4 million kilograms of maize flour and dry beans will be distributed to ...

Kenya is facing one of its most severe drought emergencies in recent years, with more than 2 million people confronting food insecurity as consecutive failed rainy seasons devastate crops and livestock. The prolonged dry spell has hit pastoral communities hardest, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where livestock losses have surged dramatically. For many households, ...

A prolonged, multi-year drought continues to affect large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, with the Horn of Africa remaining among the most severely exposed regions. Recent climate and satellite monitoring indicate widespread soil-moisture deficits, failed rainy seasons, and persistent below-average rainfall, placing both rain-fed crop systems and pastoral livelihoods under extreme stress. Staple crop production has ...

By Brandon Moss/Agrifocus Africa  Botswana has been flagged as one of the country’s most vulnerable to escalating drought conditions, according to a joint report released this week by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the US National Drought Mitigation Center. The study, which analyzed climate trends across sub-Saharan Africa, warns that prolonged ...

Morocco’s agricultural heartland has been hit hard by climate change.  Successive droughts, interspersed with unexpected violent storms, have accelerated the adoption of new approaches for farming and water resource management.   The World Bank is supporting Morocco across a range of programs to address the challenges. Three other projects and programs, the “Strengthening Agri-Food Value Chains” ...

Farai Shawn Matiashe As Zimbabwe faces its worst drought in 40 years, Farai Shawn Matiashe speaks to farmers about the barriers to climate resilience. Margaret Mutasa, a smallholder farmer, stares at her children picking yellow-green guavas from the fields in Watsomba, a rural area in Zimbabwe’s Manicaland Province. These fruits are what Mutasa’s family eat for breakfast ...

U.N. Launches Urgent $430m Appeal as Zimbabwe Grapples with Severe Drought Crisis Harare, Zimbabwe — The United Nations humanitarian agency has issued a stark warning as Zimbabwe reels under the grip of its worst drought in four decades, with approximately half of the country’s population facing urgent food and water shortages. Launching an appeal for ...

The International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) has sought to develop drought-resistant breeds of cereals to combat years of dryness in Morocco. In the heart of sun-soaked Morocco, scientists are cultivating a future where tough crops defy a relentless drought, now in its sixth year. “Look at these beautiful ears of wheat,” ...

A researcher from the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas walks in a cultivated field in the Marchouch region of northwestern Morocco on April 18, 2024. (AFP) In the face of “extremely high” water stress, Morocco’s cultivated areas are expected to shrink to 2.5 million hectares drastically The kingdom’s agricultural research agency aims ...

Drought-hit Morocco has been hosting an international agriculture fair in the city of Meknes this week (SIAM), focusing on climate resilience and sustainability. Some 70 countries and 1,500 exhibitions took part in the 16th edition of the expo, with some 800,000 expected visitors. More than 10 large tents displayed various agricultural products and services, including ...