Fresh from a deadly cholera outbreak, Zambia declares drought a national emergency

By FARAI MUTSAKA
Associated Press

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zambia’s president Hakainde Hichilema has declared the country’s debilitating drought a national disaster and emergency. In an address to the nation Thursday, Hakainde Hichilema said 84 of the country’s 116 districts are affected by the prolonged drought. The declaration provides a legal basis to mobilize more resources to fight the humanitarian disaster. The drought has also affected electricity generation, said the president. Other countries in southern Africa are also in a dire situation because El Nino weather patterns have affected rainfall, according to the U.N agency, the World Food Program.