UK Boosts Drought Support for Matebeleland South as El Niño Risk Grows

By Staff Reporter

Bulawayo- Three districts from Matabeleland South are among five Zimbabwean districts set to benefit from an additional £500,000 (about US$675,000) in UK funding aimed at helping vulnerable communities prepare for the expected effects of El Niño-related drought.

UK Boosts Drought Support for Matebeleland South as El Niño Risk Grows


Gwanda joins Beitbridge, Mwenezi, Matobo and Masvingo as beneficiaries of the programme, which is expected to reach more than 97,000 people across the five districts.

The support is designed to help communities prepare for drought before conditions worsen, with interventions including improved access to water, climate-smart agricultural inputs and training, livestock assistance and other livelihood protection measures.

The increased support comes amid growing concerns over the potential impact of **El Niño on rainfall and temperatures**, particularly in drought-prone parts of Southern Africa.

For communities in Gwanda, where livelihoods are heavily linked to agriculture and livestock, the anticipatory approach is intended to reduce the impact of drought by providing assistance before families lose crops, livestock and income.

UK Minister for Development **Kirsty McNeill** said early intervention was more effective than waiting for humanitarian crises to deepen.

“The climate crisis isn’t something that’s round the corner, it’s already here and people need our help right now,” McNeill said.

She said climate-related shocks could have consequences beyond national borders through disruptions to food supplies, economies and household incomes.

The UK Government said acting ahead of disasters could reduce suffering while lowering the cost of humanitarian responses.

The additional Zimbabwe funding forms part of up to **£15 million** being made available through the UK's Humanitarian Crisis Fund for anticipatory action in countries facing risks associated with El Niño.

The wider funding will support drought-prone communities in Southern Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America, as well as areas in East Africa and South America facing flood risks.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs representative Lisa Doughten said humanitarian organisations needed to shift from responding to disasters after they occurred to preparing communities before the impact was felt.

“When we know a drought is coming, we must not wait for families to lose their crops and incomes before we act,” START Network chief executive Christina Bennett said.

Among the measures supported through anticipatory action are livestock vaccination ahead of drought conditions, water interventions, climate-smart farming support and financial assistance to vulnerable farming households.

Professor **Liz Stephens of the University of Reading** said advances in weather and climate forecasting were giving humanitarian organisations a longer window to prepare communities for extreme weather events.

El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern that generally develops every two to seven years and can influence rainfall and temperature patterns in different parts of the world.

The UK said it was also working with the Met Office to expand access to AI-powered weather forecasting and early-warning systems, allowing vulnerable countries to better anticipate extreme weather.

For Gwanda, the latest intervention offers an opportunity for communities, farmers and livestock owners to strengthen their preparedness before drought conditions become more severe.

The UK said studies had shown that proactive drought responses could prevent major losses to household incomes and assets, strengthening the case for providing assistance **before disaster strikes rather than after livelihoods have already been destroyed.