Authorities believe that some ten million people need humanitarian assistance urgently.

President Hakainde Hichilema requested the international community for some 900 million dollars in aid in the face of the worst drought the country has experienced since the record has been registered.

The president pointed out that 9.8 million Zambians have been affected by the drought, 6.6 million of whom need humanitarian assistance immediately.

The El Niño weather phenomenon, which causes a change in atmospheric dynamics due to a rise in temperature of the Pacific Ocean, has worsened the drought in Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, while causing torrential rains and floods in East African countries.

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