BY THEMBA ZWANE
MBABANE – The Kingdom of Eswatini has secured about E8.86 million in emergency funding to help protect vulnerable communities from the expected impacts of an approaching El Niño-induced drought, after the Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society (BERCS) activated its Early Action Protocol.
The funding, amounting to 452,492 Swiss francs, was released from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) Disaster Response Emergency Fund following the activation of Eswatini’s drought protocol on September 9.
At the current exchange rate on September 27, 2026, the 452,492 Swiss francs are worth approximately E8.86 million.
The funding is being made available ahead of the anticipated drought, allowing interventions to begin before the worst effects are felt by vulnerable households.
According to the international humanitarian organisation Anticipation Hub, the activation followed forecasts of below-normal rainfall between October and December as the El Niño phenomenon continues to affect southern Africa.
The funding will support a range of anticipatory measures designed to protect vulnerable households, including cash assistance for food, livelihood and livestock support, as well as the provision of clean water.
Part of the money will also strengthen community engagement, monitoring activities and BERCS’ operational capacity, ensuring that communities and response structures are better prepared for worsening conditions.
The intervention will focus particularly on the Lubombo and Shiselweni regions, where the anticipated drought is expected to increase pressure on food security and water supplies.
The international report said the worst impacts are expected during the January to March lean season, making the early release of the funds critical for communities to prepare before conditions deteriorate.
The move demonstrates the growing importance of anticipatory action in disaster management, with humanitarian organisations increasingly releasing funds when credible forecasts indicate that a disaster is likely, rather than waiting until communities are already facing its full effects.
BERCS Disaster Risk Management Coordinator Siphelele Mkhonta said the organisation was drawing lessons from the devastating 2015/16 drought.
Mkhonta noted that losses during that drought were estimated at close to E3.8 billion, equivalent to about US$232 million at the exchange rate cited by Anticipation Hub.
“Having learnt from the 2015/16 drought, where losses close to E3.8 billion [approximately 232 million US dollars] were reported, acting early will reduce the impacts caused by this drought,” Mkhonta said.
The latest funding therefore represents an effort to reduce the human and economic cost of another severe drought by putting resources into communities before the anticipated peak of the crisis.
The Early Action Protocol is being implemented in coordination with the National Anticipatory Action Working Group, bringing together relevant government and humanitarian stakeholders.
The IFRC has listed the Eswatini drought intervention under its Drought Early Action Protocol Activation, dated September 24, 2026.
The activation comes as forecasts indicate that the drought could peak around January 2027, giving authorities and humanitarian partners a window in which to implement preventative measures.
Anticipatory action is designed to use forecasts and early warning information to trigger pre-agreed interventions before a hazard causes its most severe impacts.
For Eswatini, the measures include protecting livelihoods, supporting access to food and water and helping vulnerable households withstand the expected deterioration in conditions.
The latest international funding thus puts a significant financial resource behind Eswatini’s preparations for the coming drought, with the E8.86 million expected to reach vulnerable communities through early interventions rather than emergency response after losses have already occurred.
The development was reported internationally by Anticipation Hub on September 23 and subsequently featured in the IFRC’s ReliefWeb emergency reporting.
#IFRC #Drought #Relief #Eswatini #EarlyAction #BERCS
