Zambia has sounded the alarm on the devastating drought gripping the country, urging immediate action from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to address the looming food security crisis.
Etambuyu Anamela Gundersen, Zambia’s Permanent Secretary for International Relations and Cooperation, led the country’s delegation at a critical meeting of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials in Luanda, Angola. The committee, which convened on March 4th, paves the way for the upcoming SADC Council of Ministers meeting scheduled for March 10th-11th.
Highlighting the severity of the situation, Ms. Gundersen conveyed President Hakainde Hichilema’s declaration of the drought as a national disaster. The failed 2023/2024 crops across vast regions of Zambia threaten not just food security but also pose a ripple effect on other sectors, potentially impacting the country’s energy sector as well.
Ms. Gundersen pressed for urgent regional discussions on food security. Her plea underscored the need for a two-fold approach: tackling the immediate challenges posed by the drought across member states, while also crafting long-term solutions considering the broader regional consequences. The Permanent Secretary urged the committee to prioritize concrete decisions for swift implementation within a disaster management and response framework.
The SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials acts as a technical advisory body to the Council of Ministers, primarily responsible for preparing agendas for the Council meetings. The Council itself serves as the principal advisory body to the SADC Summit, overseeing the functioning of the SADC Secretariat and driving the development of regional programs to ensure effective implementation of SADC policies.
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