UN-Backed Report Warns of Unprecedented Global Drought Crisis

By Juliet Jerotich

Recent years have seen some of the most severe and far-reaching droughts in recorded history, driven by escalating climate change and unsustainable use of natural resources, according to a newly released global assessment.

The comprehensive report—jointly prepared by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), and the International Drought Resilience Alliance—covers the global drought outlook between 2023 and 2025 and paints a troubling picture of worsening conditions.

“Drought is not just a lack of rain—it is a creeping, deadly force that silently disrupts societies, ecosystems, and economies,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD. “It doesn’t announce itself, but the damage it leaves behind is deep and lasting.”

Report co-author and NDMC Director Dr. Mark Svoboda echoed the concern, describing the current situation as “a slow-building global disaster” that demands urgent attention. “We are not simply experiencing isolated dry spells. This is the most serious drought scenario I’ve seen. We need to track its impact more systematically on people, food systems, and natural habitats.”

Eastern and Southern Africa have been hit especially hard. Around 90 million individuals across the region are battling acute hunger, with repeated crop failures across nations like Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, maize production fell by 70% in 2024, food prices soared, and 9,000 livestock perished due to thirst and malnutrition.

Somalia remains in crisis as well. In 2022 alone, an estimated 43,000 people died due to hunger linked to drought. By early 2025, a quarter of the Somali population faced emergency levels of food insecurity.

Drought-related consequences have also crippled Zambia’s energy sector. The Zambezi River dropped to just 20% of its average flow in April 2025, forcing Kariba Dam—its primary power source—to operate at just 7% of its capacity. The result: blackouts lasting up to 21 hours daily, paralyzing hospitals, bakeries, and industries.

Beyond Africa, Europe and Latin America are also grappling with escalating impacts. Spain’s olive harvest dropped by half in 2023 following two years of extreme heat and drought, pushing olive oil prices to record highs. In Türkiye, water scarcity has led to collapsing aquifers and hazardous sinkholes.

The Amazon Basin, too, is under stress. Historic low river levels in 2023–2024 caused mass fish and dolphin deaths, disrupted freshwater access, and hindered transportation. Ongoing deforestation and wildfires risk turning the rainforest from a carbon sink into a carbon emitter.

Meanwhile, reduced water levels in the Panama Canal disrupted international trade, cutting shipping traffic by over one-third. This led to ripple effects like reduced soybean exports from the U.S. and supply shortages in UK supermarkets.

To address the crisis, the report urges investment in early warning systems, real-time drought monitoring, and ecological restoration, including reforestation and indigenous agriculture. It also calls for sustainable infrastructure development—such as decentralized energy and diversified water sources—and enhanced global collaboration around shared water bodies and trade routes.