Lesotho plans food aid for 52,632 households
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on The Reporter (Lesotho)
Illustrative image · Lagos Food Bank Initiative · Pexels · Licence PexelsThe Lesotho government plans to distribute food aid to 52,632 vulnerable households facing food insecurity. The national assessment estimates 492,284 people are at risk, with the situation likely to worsen between October 2026 and March 2027, according to the Disaster Management Authority.
The Lesotho government plans to distribute food aid to 52,632 vulnerable households as part of its response to food insecurity. The Disaster Management Authority (DMA), under the Office of the Prime Minister, says the national vulnerability assessment estimates that around 492,284 Basotho are exposed to food insecurity.
The situation could worsen between October 2026 and March 2027 due to high temperatures and below-average rainfall associated with expected El Niño conditions, according to the DMA. These conditions threaten crops and could exacerbate food shortages.
The government has adopted a local purchase programme for grain and other foodstuffs directly from farmers. During the previous financial year, 2,307 farmers sold a total of 2,330,110 kilograms of food products to the authorities for 24,830,398 maloti. Lesotho also received 12,000 bags of rice and 12,000 bags of wheat from China.
