Zambia is vulnerable to cyclical drought and other natural hazards, such as floods and pest infestations, which weaken the resilience of vulnerable communities and contribute to food insecurity and malnutrition. USAID drought response efforts focus on addressing immediate humanitarian needs while also supporting interventions to build community resilience to mitigate and respond to future shocks.
Additionally, Zambia hosted more than 81,600 refugees and asylum-seekers from neighboring countries, 78 percent of whom relocated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as of March 2024. On May 2, 2024, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Linnisa Wahid issued a declaration of humanitarian need in Zambia due to El Niño-induced drought and resultant food insecurity leading to an estimated 6.6 million people requiring humanitarian assistance through the March 2025 harvest season. In response to ongoing food insecurity, USAID supports the UN World Food Program (WFP) to provide refugees in Zambia’s Mantapala refugee camp with monthly cash transfers for food.
