We are working on ways to support drought-hit African countries- IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it is assessing the impact of a deep drought in Africa and working on ways to provide support to the affected countries. It comes as several African countries declared national emergencies over drought. 

Julie Kozack, Communications Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday in a press conference that the 'IMF has over the last several years and decade seen an increased frequency of climate shocks globally'. 

"And Africa has been particularly hard hit by these climate shocks. And we see this, of course, happening now with these droughts in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia.”

East Africa is facing its worst drought in 40 years, impacting more than 29 million people. The ripple effects are huge. Mass population displacement, malnutrition, food insecurity, and disease outbreaks such as Cholera. 

In Somalia alone, about  1.4 million people have been displaced by drought while in Zambia, President Hakainde Hichilema declared a national disaster and emergency over drought in March, saying it had devastated food production and electricity supply.

Drought is caused by a lack of rainfall, causing serious water shortages.