Joining Forces Call For Urgent Action To Protect Children From Effects Of Drought
Joining Forces for Children Alliance Zambia Chapter, a global coalition of six of the world’s largest child-focused agencies, has called for immediate action aimed at providing relief and building long-term resilience against the impacts of climate change on children.
In a statement, Alliance Vice Chairperson, Antoinette Ngoma said the Alliance is gravely concerned about the latest data which projects that 5.83 million individuals are in urgent need of assistance, exacerbating the vulnerabilities among children identified in a recent inter-agency assessment, the June 2024 Rapid Qualitative Assessment (RQA) for Zambia.
Ms. Ngoma, who is also Plan International Zambia Country Director, noted that the updated statistics reveal an increase in the number of people affected by the severe drought that continues to grip the nation.
She stated that the six Alliance members in Zambia are already actively supporting affected children and communities through immediate and medium to long term services such as the school-feeding programs, child protection services, provision of relief food and non-food items, among others.
She however said there is still a critical shortage of funding for humanitarian interventions to address children’s immediate survival needs.
“The children of Zambia are now facing challenges that require resilience and significant support to overcome. As the drought continues to ravage the country, it is imperative that we, as a nation and as a global community, unite to protect the most vulnerable among us – our children.”
“The Joining Forces for Children alliance urgently calls on international partners, the Government of Zambia, and local communities to prioritize interventions that will safeguard the future of Zambia’s children,” Ms. Ngoma asserted.
According to the June 2024 Rapid Qualitative Assessment for Zambia, there is a significant drop in school attendance due to hunger, as many schools, particularly secondary institutions, lack feeding programs.
