Eswatini — humanitarian situation

Eswatini continues to face persistent drought and deteriorating food security conditions driven by irregular rainfall, elevated food prices, reduced household incomes, and livestock disease. According to the IPC analysis published in July 2026, approximately 222,000 people—18 percent of the analyzed population—are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) between June and September 2026, marking a two-percentage-point increase from the same period in 2025 when 193,000 people (16 percent) were affected IPC. The drought crisis has persisted across successive years, with ACAPS having classified food insecurity in Eswatini as high as of November 2023, when 24 percent of the population faced acute challenges IFRC. While much of Southern Africa transitioned from flood response to recovery during the second quarter of 2026, localized flooding persisted in Eswatini alongside these chronic food security concerns OCHA. WFP continues to support the Government of Eswatini through the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, smallholder farmer market access initiatives, and technical assistance focused on improving local procurement, food quality, and nutrition-sensitive programming WFP. The IFRC has allocated CHF 546,685 through the DREF for anticipatory action to reduce and mitigate drought impacts, including pre-positioning stock and readiness activities IFRC. In April 2026, the Government launched the National Disaster Risk Management Authority, replacing the former National Disaster Management Agency and signaling a shift from response-oriented approaches toward a forward-looking, risk-informed framework IFRC. The response continues to prioritize strengthening national social protection systems, enhancing climate resilience, and improving food systems through development partnerships. WFP's ongoing collaboration with the Government emphasizes resilience-building alongside immediate food security interventions WFP. The anticipatory action protocols established by IFRC enable pre-agreed early actions when drought triggers are reached, representing a proactive approach to recurring humanitarian challenges in the kingdom IFRC.