Anticipating the impact of drought in southern African countries: Key findings from the 2023/2024 anticipatory action activations

These evidence reports analyze the outcomes of the 2023/24 anticipatory action activations in four southern African countries: Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. They present key recommendations on what worked well and areas for improvement to inform future activations in the region.

Across the four countries, WFP and partners provided a combination of cash transfers, agricultural inputs such as drought-tolerant seeds, early warning information and support for the provision of safe water. Results across the countries highlighted the effect of Anticipatory Action in supporting people's food security and essential needs in the face of the drought. The lessons from the four activations are documented in these reports and are being used as a basis to enhance the Anticipatory Action programmes for future activations, so that they can continue to protect lives and livelihoods before disasters strike.