Today's Article

A 3drought caused by a combination of naturally 4occurring 5El Nino and 6human-induced global warming 7plagues Zimbabwe. It's the worst drought here in years, after a failed rainy season from October to March and the threat of another below-average season later this year. Crops have dried up and families are struggling to put food on the table. 

In a flash appeal, UNICEF said 7.6 million people need life-saving support. Of those, the most vulnerable are children. 

"Food is a big challenge and sometimes the kids carry corn snacks to school. This is different from previous years when we had good rainy seasons and I could at least pack something decent for them. We can now only afford to have one meal per day because we have no choice." 

At this 8feeding station and four others, 9donors fund two meals for about 1,500 children a day. But as the drought 10persists and donations 11dip, resources are stretched increasingly thin. 

"I felt that as a mother and as a woman and a member of a community I should 12chip in when I hear the cries of a child next door saying they haven't eaten since yesterday. I had a 13moral obligation to 14satiate that need." 

In nearby Malawi and Zambia, the El Nino-driven drought means crops are failing, prices are 15soaring, and people are struggling to find food.All three countries have declared natural disasters. This Malawian farmer is used to harvesting 50 bags or 50 kilograms from her field. But with little rainfall, along with a worm issue, that number has 16plummeted to just two.