14000 Families on the brink of starvation due to El Nino-Induced drought in Mozambique
The El Niño phenomenon, characterized by severe drought, affects more than fourteen thousand families in the Chicualacuala district, in the northern part of Gaza province, Mozambique. More than 2000 of these families rely exclusively on agriculture for their subsistence. According to data from the District Services for Economic Activities (SDAE) of Chicualacuala, over 4500 hectares of crops have been lost, which accounts for the majority of the agricultural fields.
With the granaries already empty, the number of meals that families can have per day is below the recommended level, with some days where they can only manage one meal. Children are particularly affected by this crisis; due to hunger, many school-aged children are forced to drop out of school.
Sara Sidumo, a farmer, shares the plight her family is facing: “We have nothing to eat. Since dawn, the children have been playing and not going to school because of hunger. This year the heat has been intense; even if a little rain falls, the soil loses moisture very quickly. In this situation, we don’t know what to do.”
Chicualacuala, located in the northern part of Gaza province in Mozambique, borders the Republic of Zimbabwe. The population predominantly relies on the cultivation of millet, which serves as the basis for their diet. With the drought, only those with money survive, and they are few.