In Default for 25 Years, Zimbabwe Struggles to Feed Its Citizens
Zimbabwe owes more than $21 billion in debt. Now, as the country struggles with a once-in-a-generation drought, ordinary people are paying the price.
An empty reservoir in the Magwegwe township, Zimbabwe, in 2024.
Photographer: Zinyang Auntony/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Over the last quarter century, Zimbabwe has failed to pay $21 billion in debt.
Now, as the country struggles with the impact of a once-in-a-generation drought, ordinary Zimbabweans are paying the price. A prolonged hot and dry spell caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon has ravaged southern Africa, withering crops and leaving 26 million people across seven nations hungry, according to the United Nations’ World Food Programme.