Nearly half of Zambia's residents do not reach the minimum daily caloric intake. Even more are living in poverty and a third of all children under the age of five in the country are malnourished. Despite this, Zambia tops the list of the most underreported humanitarian crises in the world.
Zambia tops CARE Internationals list on the most underreported humanitarian crises in 2021. Nearly half of Zambia's nearly 18,5 million people do not get the recommended daily caloric intake, 60 percent of the population lives below the poverty line of $ 1,9 per day and a third of all children under the age of five in the country are malnourished.
People in the countryside in Zambia, the majority of those living in poverty, as well as experiencing hunger and the most serious effects of climate change. The prolonged drought that has affected several countries in southern Africa has caused an insecure food supply. In addition, the corona pandemic has contributed to income losses that have further hampered access to food.
Women and children are worst affected
In crises, women and children are often hit the hardest. Zambia has major problems with gender equality and is one of the world's least equal countries. This affects both poverty in the country and contributes to food insecurity. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), gender equality and women's empowerment are important in reducing poverty and achieving food security.
Girls and young women are particularly affected by ill health and maternal and infant mortality rates are high in the country. Developments in healthcare, on the other hand, have progressed in recent years. Swedish Development Aid Authority Sida supports the work within Zambia's Ministry of Health where the focus is on improving care for women, young people and children. Nursing staff are trained in, among other things, emergency maternity care and youth health.
Hope for democratic development after the 2021 election
Despite the fact that democracy in Zambia has been declining for several years, development is progressing. More children go to school, life expectancy increases and so does access to contraception. The democratic election in 2021 gave hope for a democratic development in the country, something like Utvecklingsmagasinet has written about before.
CARE International's list of underreported humanitarian crises
Of the 1,8 million articles analyzed by CARE International, only 512 articles dealt with the humanitarian crisis in Zambia. The purpose of CARE International's report is to help aid organizations, the media, decision - makers and affected communities to discuss how awareness and support for people in need can be increased.
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