Drought caused by erratic rainfalls of 2015 followed by the strongest El Niño of 35 years has led to severe drought in Lesotho. 534,508 people are currently food insecure and the government declared a state of emergency in December 2015. Livestock have died due to the drought, and an increasing number of children are suffering from malnutrition.
Through an emergency appeal launched by the IFRC, the Lesotho Red Cross Society is organizing aid to 9,000 beneficiaries.
Across southern Africa, 28 million people are now affected by drought with the figure potentially climbing as high as 49 million. The IFRC has launched Emergency Appeals in Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, totaling more than 3 million Swiss francs to provide up to 37,000 people with emergency life-saving support as they battle the effects of severe droughts and the El Niño phenomenon.
Sebili Maoatsa is a 24-year-old volunteer with the Lesotho Red Cross in the Mafeteng district. He has been working with assessment of the drought, and food distributions to vulnerable groups. Sebili has grown up in the Mafeteng district and knows the community.
TIMECODE:
00:15: WS of Sebili Maoatsa in front of grow house with fellow female volunteer
00:34: CU – then MS Sebili Maoatsa in front of grow house with fellow female volunteer
00:58: MS of Sebili with fellow volunteer walking inside the Red Cross house
01:09: MS of Sebili sitting at table
01:17: WS of Sebili sitting at table with fellow female volunteer
01:25: MS Red Cross house in Mafeteng
01:31: MS Red Cross worker assessing needs of vulnerable groups
01:41: WS Group of people in front of house
01:49: WS Dried out river
02:02: WS Dried out river with bridge
02:09: Extreme WS of dry landscape – then pan
02:20: Dry crop field with a few small maize crops
02:28:Dry crop field in front of house
02:38: ENDS