Lusaka—If Zambia were a character in a novel right now, it would be that unfortunate soul caught in a perfect storm—no rain, no power, and a disease outbreak on top of it all. The country is battling one of its worst droughts in decades, crippling food production, draining hydropower reserves, and leaving millions in dire need of assistance. As if that weren’t enough, a cholera outbreak is sweeping through the nation, stretching health services to the brink and forcing authorities to take drastic measures. For ordinary Zambians, life feels like an endurance test with no finish line in sight.
The drought, officially declared a national disaster by President Hakainde Hichilema in late February, has affected 84 out of the country’s 116 districts. Farmers who rely on rain-fed agriculture have watched their crops wither, and food shortages are becoming a grim reality. Experts blame El Niño for the extreme dry spell, but for people on the ground, the science is secondary to the suffering. Families are struggling to access drinking water, and the lack of irrigation has left entire communities desperate. Government agencies and the military are scrambling to respond, with the Zambia National Service attempting to salvage the situation by launching an ambitious winter maize planting program. The goal? To produce nearly 15,000 metric tonnes of maize by the end of the year—a hopeful move, but not an immediate fix for those already going hungry.
Adding to the misery, Zambia’s reliance on hydroelectric power has turned the drought into an energy crisis. With water levels at critical lows in key reservoirs, the country’s power utility, ZESCO, has had no choice but to ration electricity. What started as an eight-hour daily blackout in March has now ballooned to 12 hours in some areas, forcing businesses and households to adapt to long stretches without power. Restaurants have resorted to gas stoves, students are studying by candlelight, and factories are struggling to keep production lines running. The economy, already fragile, is taking another hit, with some small businesses on the verge of shutting down.
And just when Zambia thought it had enough to worry about, cholera made a dramatic and unwelcome return. The outbreak, which began in late 2023, has now infected tens of thousands and claimed hundreds of lives. The disease spreads easily through contaminated water, making the ongoing drought a perfect accomplice in its deadly rampage. Schools that were set to reopen in January were forced to delay until February, and authorities have converted Lusaka’s National Heroes Stadium into a treatment center to manage the growing number of patients. The government, in collaboration with international health organizations, has rolled out a mass vaccination campaign, but the scale of the crisis remains daunting.
For a country in the grips of so many emergencies at once, the response requires more than just band-aid solutions. While Zambia has received international aid, a worrying shift in global funding priorities could pose another challenge. The UK recently slashed its foreign aid budget, a move that has sparked outrage from humanitarian organizations, who warn that cuts like these will hit vulnerable nations the hardest. If Zambia is to navigate this crisis successfully, it will need more than short-term relief—it needs long-term investment in water management, diversified energy sources, and stronger healthcare infrastructure.
Zambians now find themselves trapped in a relentless storm of drought, blackouts, and disease, clinging to the hope that relief is just beyond the horizon. The rain remains elusive, the power cuts grow longer, and cholera refuses to loosen its grip. Each new day feels like a test of endurance, a battle against forces both natural and systemic. Yet, if history has shown anything, it’s that Zambia does not break easily. The real question is, how much more hardship must its people weather before promises turn into action and survival is no longer a daily struggle?
