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 nearly 64,500 refugees and asylum-seekers from neighboring countries, namely the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola, as of January 2023. On December 23, 2022, U.S. Ambassador Michael C. Gonzales issued a redeclaration of humanitarian need in Zambia due to unmet humanitarian food needs of refugee and asylum-seeker populations in the country. 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.
