Buela, Zimbabwe:

Residents of the Zimbabwean village of Buhera stood in small groups at a primary school, waiting to be called by name to receive life-saving grains, peas and cooking oil.

“We are grateful, but the food is only enough for a month,” said 71-year-old Mushaikwa, who lives with her elderly husband as she trudged along carrying a bag of food. “My crops have withered.”

Zimbabwe has been unable to feed itself since former president Robert Mugabe seized white-owned farms in 2000, disrupting production and causing a sharp decline in output that has left many Zimbabweans relying on food aid to survive.

El Niño-induced droughts have hit many southern African countries, exacerbating the crisis. The government estimates that 2.7 million people will go hungry this year, but the actual number is likely to be higher.

A government minister told Reuters the government was considering whether to declare a state of emergency.

El Niño is a naturally occurring weather phenomenon associated with disrupted wind patterns, which means increased sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean.

It occurs on average every two to seven years, typically lasts nine to 12 months, and can trigger extreme weather such as tropical cyclones, prolonged droughts, and subsequent wildfires.

“When you drive around you see a lot of crops that have withered,” said Christine Mendes, acting country director of the World Food Program in Harare, about 220 kilometers (140 miles) southeast of the capital. .”

Zimbabwe’s staple corn production is expected to halve to 1.1 million tonnes this year.

Mendez said the World Food Program had reached 270,000 people in four drought-stricken areas between January and March, but additional funding was needed to feed more people.

In Buhra, 47-year-old Mary Takawira assesses her crops, which are drying up before they reach maturity.

“I don’t remember what (the corn) tastes like,” she said. “It’s going to be a tough year.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)