The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) is closing its regional bureau for Southern Africa, based in Johannesburg, at a critical time when the region is facing its worst drought in four decades, Bloomberg reports.
The decision, announced in an email to staff on Friday by Global Executive Director Cindy McCain, comes as 26 million people across seven countries in the region face food shortages ahead of the May harvest.
The Southern Africa bureau plays a crucial role in the region’s food supply chain, procuring and transporting hundreds of thousands of tons of food from South Africa and other countries. The WFP states on its website that over 60% of its food, goods, and services are sourced locally. The region is particularly vulnerable to droughts due to the periodic El Nino weather phenomenon, which affected the area last year.
The WFP has been instrumental in securing funds for countries like Zimbabwe and Mozambique, which are struggling with the impact of the severe drought that has slashed corn harvests by as much as 70%.
According to McCain’s email, the responsibilities of the Johannesburg bureau, which oversees the WFP’s response and coordinates with country offices across a vast region from South Africa to the Democratic Republic of Congo, will be transferred to the East African bureau in Nairobi.
McCain assured that the agency remains committed to Southern Africa, and a “transition and integration team” will be established to implement the changes throughout the year.
Employees at the Johannesburg office were initially informed that the bureau might be merged with the Nairobi office. However, Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau announced the decision to close the office entirely on February 27, reportedly surprising staff, including senior management. McCain’s email confirming the closure was sent the following day. The closure will affect 160 employees based in Johannesburg.
