EU Provides €150,000 to Help Lesotho Prepare for Drought

The European Union is providing 150,000 euros in humanitarian funding to help vulnerable households in Lesotho prepare for potential drought as forecasts point to below-normal rainfall during the October–December 2026 period.

The six-month intervention, which will run through March 2027, will support anticipatory action before the expected effects of reduced rainfall are felt during the country's main planting and growing season.

The funding will strengthen the Lesotho Red Cross Society's efforts to reach vulnerable families in two priority districts with early warnings and multipurpose cash assistance.

Early-warning messages will be delivered through community gatherings, local structures, community radio and social media. The districts were selected based on their vulnerability, projected exposure to drought, levels of food insecurity and findings from risk and needs assessments.

The EU funding forms part of its contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The intervention comes as Lesotho faces mounting food-security pressures following repeated floods and droughts that have disrupted agricultural production, damaged livelihoods and increased the vulnerability of rural communities.

An estimated 311,000 people, or about one in five people in Lesotho, are projected to experience food insecurity between October 2026 and March 2027, according to the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee.

Seven of the country's 10 assessed districts are expected to face IPC Phase 3, or Crisis-level, food insecurity during the period.

The latest intervention is based on forecasts of below-normal rainfall associated with a strong El Niño event expected to peak between late 2026 and early 2027. The timing could coincide with Lesotho's main agricultural season, raising concerns about further pressure on food production and household food access.

The EU and humanitarian partners are therefore deploying assistance before the projected deterioration in conditions, with initial assessments to guide the targeting of households facing the greatest identified risks.

Source: FSX Business News