Southern Africa is facing an extreme drought caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon, leaving millions of people without access to food. The 2023-24 farming season has been severely impacted, with an estimated 56.8 million people struggling to find sustenance. As families grapple with this crisis, reports from ActionAid reveal a disturbing trend: young girls are being married off in exchange for food.

This crisis has been described as the worst drought the region has seen in a century, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). The drought, which began earlier this year due to insufficient rainfall, has devastated farming communities across the region. As a result, families are resorting to desperate measures, including early and forced marriages of young girls, to secure resources for survival.

ActionAid’s report highlights how young women and girls are bearing the brunt of the crisis. With reduced access to essential services and the increased burden of unpaid care work, women are becoming more vulnerable to exploitation and gender-based violence. Emily, a 19-year-old from Zambia, expressed her concerns, noting that many girls now depend on their husbands for food, making them even more susceptible to abuse.

The drought has also hampered efforts to keep girls in school, further exacerbating existing inequalities. Nyaradzo, a 24-year-old from Zimbabwe, voiced frustration over the lack of drought relief and government assistance, stating that young women are being left to fend for themselves.

Ahead of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government, ActionAid called for urgent action to protect young women and girls. The charity urged SADC leaders to implement gender equality principles and prioritize flexible funding for women-led community protection initiatives. ActionAid stressed the need for a comprehensive gender analysis of the drought’s impact to ensure effective intervention strategies.