GLOBAL DROUGHT CRISIS UNFOLDS: Record-Breaking Droughts Devastate Lives and Economies… 90 million people face acute hunger
Oru Leonard
A recent report by the US National Drought Mitigation Center and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), reveals that some of the most widespread and damaging drought events in recorded history have occurred between 2023 and 2025. These droughts have been fueled by climate change and relentless pressure on land and water resources, resulting in food, water, and energy crises, as well as human tragedies.
In Africa over 90 million people across Eastern and Southern Africa face acute hunger, with 68 million in Southern Africa requiring food aid. Countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi have experienced repeated crop failures, with Zimbabwe’s 2024 corn crop down 70% year-on-year.
At the Mediterranean, Spain’s olive production fell 50% due to drought and record heat, doubling olive oil prices. Morocco’s sheep population shrank by 38% from 2016 to 2025, prompting a royal plea to cancel traditional Eid sacrifices.
In the Latin America, the Amazon Basin experienced record-low river levels, killing over 200 endangered river dolphins and disrupting drinking water and transport for hundreds of thousands. The Panama Canal saw a significant reduction in daily transits, causing global trade disruptions.
In Southeast Asia, drought disrupted production and supply chains of key crops like rice, coffee, and sugar, leading to an 8.9% increase in sugar prices in the US.
The consequences is that drought episodes today carry an economic cost at least twice as high as in 2000, with a projected 35% to 110% increase by 2035.
The vulnerable population, that is women, children, and people with chronic illnesses are disproportionately affected, with increased health risks and desperation-driven coping mechanisms.
The report calls for urgent investments in drought preparedness, including stronger early warning systems, nature-based solutions, resilient infrastructure, and gender-responsive adaptation.
Key Statistics
– 68 million people needing food aid in Southern Africa
– 23 million people facing acute hunger in Eastern Africa
– 4.4 million people in Somalia at crisis-level food insecurity
– 200 plus, endangered river dolphins killed by heat in the Amazon
– 1,600 plus, estimated number of sinkholes in Türkiye due to groundwater depletion.
Cover Photo Caption: Extracting water from a traditional well using a manual pulley system. Credit: Abdallah Khalili / UNCCD
(UNCCD Media)
