Yahoo TV

STORY: Millions of people across southern Africa are facing the worst food crisis in decades.

That’s according to the World Food Programme (WFP) on Tuesday (October 15).

The UN agency warned that its ability to provide relief hangs in the balance due to funding shortfalls.

There are unprecedented drought conditions in a record five countries; Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The agency has declared a state of disaster and called for international humanitarian support.

WFP’s regional officer Tomson Phiri said this major issue could deepen into a “full-scale humanitarian crisis”.

“Millions of people risk going hungry as southern Africa enters lean season. The United Nations World Food Program is today calling for urgent assistance to prevent a widespread drought triggered by the El Nino phenomenon from deepening into a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe. A historic drought, the worst food crisis yet, has devastated more than 27 million lives across the region. Some 21 million children in southern Africa are malnourished.”

WFP is planning to provide food and, in some cases, cash to more than 6.5 million people in the seven hardest-hit countries.

That would cover the period until the next harvest in March.

But the WFP said that it's only received about a fifth of the $369 million it needed.

“October in southern Africa marks the start of the lean season and each month is expected to be worse than the previous one until harvest next year in March and April. Crops have failed, livestock has perished, and children are lucky to receive one meal per day. The situation is dire, and the need for action has never been clearer.”