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Current Requirements (US$)$90.9 million
Crisis overview
Prolonged droughts, economic instability and public health challenges have affected over 9.8 million people across 84 districts in need, as outlined in the Zambian government’s Response Plan (March 2024 - May 2025). The UN-led appeal identified 6.6 million people requiring immediate humanitarian assistance due to crop failures, rising food prices, malnutrition, and depleted food stocks. The crisis is compounded by the energy crisis and the broader impacts of economic and climate factors on livelihoods, income and food security.
On May 7, the UN and partners launched an appeal for $228 million to assist 4.6 million people from June to December 2024. However, as of November 2024, only 17 per cent ($39.8 million) of the appeal was funded. In response to persistent needs, the Zambia Flash Appeal was extended through June 2025, with a revised plan identifying 5.4 million people still in need, targeting 3.2 million for assistance at a cost of $91 million. The updated appeal increased the number of targeted districts from 82 to 89 in 2025.
One of Zambia's worst droughts in recent years, driven by El Niño, has severely disrupted rainfall patterns across the southern, western and parts of eastern provinces. Consecutive poor harvests have devastated subsistence farmers, cutting off food and income sources and triggering widespread hunger and malnutrition. Limited access to safe water sources has worsened conditions, leading to sanitation issues and increasing disease risks, including cholera outbreaks in some affected areas.
Zambia’s economic struggles have deepened vulnerabilities. Inflation has surged, driving up the cost of essentials like food and fuel, worsening poverty and limited families’ access to healthcare, education, and adequate nutrition. Many families face difficult decisions, such as reducing meals or forgoing medical care due to financial constraints.
Southern province, Zambia
A child is weighed as part of a malnutrition screening at Manungu Urban Clinic in Monze. The clinic offers a retinue of services, including reproductive health care, family planning and counselling, and child health and nutrition checkups.
UNICEF/Terence SampaBetween October 2024 and March 2025, an estimated 5.8 million people are expected to face heightened hunger. According to IPC projections, 5.6 million people will be in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) and 236,000 in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency). Seven districts are anticipated to shift from IPC Phase 2 (Stressed) to Phase 3, bringing the total number of hotspot districts to 89. Despite the severity of the crisis, the food security sector remains severely underfunded in 2024 at just 14 per cent, and agriculture sector funding, crucial for addressing food insecurity is 2025, is at a mere 2 per cent.
Malnutrition is a critical concern, especially among children. The 2024 SMART survey found that Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates ranged from very low (1.7 per cent) in Eastern Province to medium (6.2 per cent) in other areas. Stunting remains high nationwide, with Eastern Province showing very high levels (34.6 per cent) and significant malnutrition in Lusaka Urban, Northwestern, Central, Western, and Southern provinces, where stunting rates exceed WHO threshold of 30 per cent. As food insecurity worsens, malnutrition rates are expected to rise, increasing the need for targeted nutritional support to address the growing numbers of stunted and underweight children.
Disease outbreaks, such as cholera and malaria, are widespread in drought-affected areas with limited access to clean water and sanitation. There is also a rising risk of mpox and a potential large-scale cholera outbreak, further threatens the strained healthcare system. As of late 2024, the health sector under the Flash Appeal remains completely underfunded, making enhanced healthcare support essential to prevent mortality among vulnerable populations.
The convergence of drought, economic instability and potential health crises means Zambia’s humanitarian situation remains dire. Sustained international support is vital to meet immediate needs, including food security, malnutrition and disease outbreaks, while building resilience to mitigate the long-term impacts. Additional funding is urgently required to reduce suffering, strengthen resilience and support its communities through these ongoing challenges.
Lusaka, Zambia
A boy scoops water out of a ditch that lies below an outhouse in George Compound, an unplanned settlement in the Matero neighbourhood of Lusaka.
UNICEF/Terence SampaResponse priorities in 2025
In 2024, the response prioritized the most vulnerable households in the drought-affected Southern, Western and Eastern Provinces, where food insecurity was severe due to poor harvests. By September 2024, food assistance had reached only 375,000 people—just 14 per cent of the target for the year. Health and nutrition interventions prioritized regions facing malnutrition and disease outbreaks, while WASH efforts aimed to improve access to clean water, in cholera-affected areas. Livelihood programmes provided agricultural inputs and drought-resistant seeds to help rural households sustain their income.
Despite these efforts, operational challenges such as underfunding and resource constraints limited the response. By the end of 2024, only 2 million of the 4.6 million targeted people will receive some form of assistance. Protection services covered only 23 per cent of those targeted, while critical sectors like health and education served less than 1 per cent of their respective people targeted. Nutrition services reached 69 per cent of their target, but WASH initiatives covered only 17 per cent. Food security interventions reached just 14 per cent, and agricultural support a mere 2 per cent, underscoring significant funding gaps that need to be addressed in 2025.
Looking ahead, the revised Drought Response Appeal targets 3.2 million people and requires $91 million to support essential needs from January to June 2025. The response will focus on food security, nutrition, agriculture, WASH and protection, with an emphasis on households in the most affected regions. The food security sector aims to assist 1.77 million people across 38 vulnerable districts and requires $47 million. Nutrition programs will expand to address urgent needs among children under five and pregnant women, targeting 1 million people with $6 million. Due to limited resources, assistance will focus on the most severely affected households, leaving others at risk of hunger.
Chilenje market, Zambia
UNICEF has supported the training and deployment of 240 Community-Based Volunteers (CBVs) through the Red Cross Society (ZRCS) and additional 350 CBVs through direct support to the Government of Zambia which are targeting about 2.4 million people throughout the country with cholera messages on prevention and access to services.
UNICEF/Mapalo MwenyaWASH initiatives will play a critical role in controlling disease spread and supporting public health. Efforts will prioritize communities with severe water scarcity and high disease risk, providing safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene education. WASH services target 1.6 million people in 2025 with a $4.8 million requirement, but funding shortfalls may leave moderately impacted communities vulnerable to health risks.
Agricultural and livelihood support in 2025 will focus on rural households impacted by drought, providing essential resources for food production and income stability. The agriculture sector aims to reach 1.3 million people with a $22 million budget.
Protection services will address drought-related issues like child labour, child marriage, and GBV, targeting 1.2 million people across 68 districts, with a $1.7 million budget. Health interventions will focus on basic healthcare and disease control, particularly in areas with high levels of malnutrition or cholera and malaria outbreaks. Collaborating with national health systems, the health sector aims to assist 800,000 people, requiring $2 million. By September 2024, the sector had reached only 2,700 people –less than 1 per cent of its target for the year.
The drought’s impact on education will also be addressed through the Ministry of Education’s response plan, prioritizing school feeding programmes to improve attendance in affected districts. This initiative, targeting 1.8 million learners, requires $7.2 million.
In 2025, Zambia’s response will focus on communities with the most urgent needs to maximize limited resources. This approach will leave some moderately affected areas without support, risking further deterioration in food security, health and nutrition.
Financial requirements
As of November 2024 , only $39.8 million, or 17 per cent, of the $228 million required for the Flash Appeal was received. Overall, 3.3 million people will be targeted for 2025 with the $90.7 million needed for January to June 2025 programming. This is based on the revised Flash Appeal which incorporates the new assessment and operational capacity.
From the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), $5.5 million has been allocated to four UN agencies—WFP, FAO, UNICEF and UNHCR. These agencies, in collaboration with cluster partners, will address food security (both agriculture and food assistance), WASH, nutrition and protection. This support targets 560,000 people, including 50,000 refugees affected by the drought.
Evolution of the humanitarian response
13-May-2025
Evolution of the humanitarian response
2024 in review: Response highlights and consequences of inaction
Response highlights
In 2024, Zambia’s humanitarian response made critical progress in addressing urgent needs despite significant challenges. However, due to funding constraints, partners are only expected to reach 2 million people, —43 per cent of the 4.6 million targeted. This limited reach has severe consequences.
Food
By the end of September 2024, over 1.4 million of the 1.7 million people targeted for food assistance remained unreached. Meanwhile, 98 per cent of those targeted for agriculture assistance did not receive support, which could have mitigated food insecurity in 2025. Persistent high rates of food insecurity have triggered ripple effects, including worsening nutrition, health and protection conditions, with affected families increasingly turning to negative coping mechanisms. In some areas, food insecurity has driven an increase in human- wildlife conflict with people turning to hunting wild animals for food.
Nutrition
Nutrition has had the highest reach, assisting 69 per cent of its target population. However, the high prevalence of food insecurity continues to sharply increase malnutrition risks, especially among children and pregnant women, likely driving up the number of people in need.
Consequences of inaction
Basic needs
Failure to act decisively risks exacerbating food insecurity and other critical issues. Underfunding has already forced the response to operate at a bare minimum, with vulnerable populations receiving just 50 kilograms of maize or a cash transfer of K400 (equivalent to $15), far below the minimum requirement to meet basic needs.
Health
Delayed responses to public health crises, such as cholera outbreaks, could lead to rapid disease spread. Without adequate humanitarian support for medical supplies, including vaccines, the overall public health situation will likely deteriorate further.
Water, sanitation and hygiene
Gaps in WASH services continue to heighten the risk of disease outbreaks, while limited access to education and healthcare deepens poverty and vulnerability. Without a significant scale-up in 2025, these crises will intensify, pushing already at-risk populations further into hardship.
Education
By September 2024, the education sector had reached less than 1 per cent of its targeted population. Reduced school feeding programmes have already led to rising school dropouts and associated risks, including increased GBV, teenage pregnancies and HIV infections. These trends are expected to worsen in 2025 if funding remains constrained.
Access
Partners have also faced access challenges in remote districts such as Shangombo, where poor road conditions impeded aid delivery. During the rainy season, heavy rainfall and flooding are likely to worsen these constraints, further restricting humanitarian operations in some districts.
References
- The 2024 SMART surveys were, however, conducted in the harvest season (May 2024) compared to the lean season (November/December) when the previous surveys had been conducted hence the comparison of the findings needs to be done cautiously.