An estimated 5.8 million people (33 percent of the analysed population) will likely experience heightened hunger between October 2024 and March 2025. The IPC projects that nearly 5.6 million people will likely experience IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) and 236,000 people IPC Phase 4 (Emergency). Seven additional districts are projected to move from IPC Phase 2 (Stressed) to Phase 3 – corresponding to 89 hotspot districts in Zambia. To prevent this dire situation, urgent lifesaving and livelihood assistance is imperative.

The food insecurity is primarily driven by climate related shocks and hazards that affect all districts. Noticeable among these shocks and hazards are prolonged dry spells (leading to droughts), pests and diseases, human-wildlife conflict and high input and food prices, which were mainly driven by exogenous shocks. The prolonged dry spells were largely experienced between December 2023 and March 2024. Occurrences of pest infestations included outbreaks of Fall Army Worms (FAW) and locusts in some parts of the country. Diseases such as the Cassava brown streak disease were also observed to have significantly impacted the seasonal crop performance. In addition, the country suffered an outbreak of cholera that affected over 70 districts. All these drivers of food insecurity were at the backdrop of an already volatile economy, further inundated by exogenous shocks, thereby resulting in increasing commodity prices.