Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Southern Africa is facing an unprecedented hunger crisis, driven by prolonged drought in 2024, which has ravaged crops and left millions of people at risk of starvation. This crisis, largely attributed to the ongoing El Niño weather pattern, has drastically altered rainfall patterns, decimating vital agricultural production.
According to researchers at the Climate Hazards Center (CHC) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, some parts of Southern Africa received less than half of their usual rainfall from late January through mid-March. This drought has had severe consequences, with more than 68 million people across the region facing food shortages as their crops wither under the dry conditions.
In response to the dire situation, countries like Zimbabwe and Namibia have resorted to drastic measures—culminating in the controversial culling of hundreds of wild elephants and other wildlife.
Zimbabwe, home to one of the largest elephant populations in Africa, has authorized the killing of 200 elephants to distribute their meat to hungry communities. Namibia has implemented a similar program, planning to cull over 700 wild animals, including 83 elephants, as part of its effort to combat food insecurity.
Zimbabwe’s National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo, explained that the elephant cull is being conducted in areas where human-wildlife conflict is high, particularly in regions like Hwange National Park, which has more than 45,000 elephants but can only sustain 15,000. The competition for dwindling resources, exacerbated by rising temperatures, has intensified tensions between humans and animals.
Namibia’s government also cited human-wildlife conflict as a reason for their culling program, emphasizing the need to protect communities struggling with both hunger and safety risks.
Russian Minister Urges Couples to Procreate During Work Breaks to Raise Birth Rate
As climate change continues to exacerbate extreme weather events like drought, the hunger crisis in Africa is expected to worsen, with wildlife management policies increasingly under scrutiny.
(Ray)
