Germany and WFP join hands to help Zambians recover from historic drought

Germany, through its Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and channeled via the German Development Bank (KFW), has contributed EUR10 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help 30,000 households and 15,000 school children in six districts recover from the El Niño-induced drought.

The funding, a response to the Government of Zambia’s Drought Response Appeal, enables WFP to provide immediate recovery assistance to the affected population, through a Drought Recovery project. This will help farming families return to production, rebuild their livelihoods, and enhance their capacities to cope with future climate risks.

Under the project, which will be implemented until August 2027, WFP will directly reach 30,000 smallholder farming households and 15,000 school children in Gwembe, Senanga, Kazungula, Namwala, Sioma, and Shangombo districts. Additionally, the project will indirectly benefit up to 150,000 people from farming families and school learners in the targeted districts. Further, the project seeks to enhance the capacity of stakeholders in the agriculture and education sectors to provide sustainable support to the target beneficiaries.

The project will target drought-impacted populations, prioritizing food-insecure households, with a focus on pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, children under the age of two years, adolescents, and persons with disabilities who are most at risk of malnutrition due to drought. It aims to assist these communities in recovering their livelihoods while helping them increase and diversify their livelihoods and strengthening their resilience against climatic shocks.

“This drought recovery project will support the most affected households in Western and Southern provinces by restoring agricultural production, enhancing incomes, and improving nutrition. It aims to address urgent needs while also providing long-term solutions, with a focus on vulnerable groups,” said Cissy Byenkya-Kabasuuga, Country Director at WFP Zambia. “We are grateful to Germany for their continued commitment to supporting our recovery programmes. This contribution enables WFP to complement immediate relief assistance with sustainable recovery support, as we aim to build resilience and strengthen coping mechanisms for future challenges.”

Through this collaboration with BMZ and KfW, WFP aims to continue supporting government efforts to provide immediate assistance to vulnerable populations, build their resilience capacities, and support social protection initiatives toward a food-secure Zambia by 2030.