The European Union is providing €150,000 in humanitarian funding to support early action for drought forecasts in Lesotho during October to December 2026.
The funding is intended to help vulnerable families prepare for the potential impacts of below-normal rainfall during the October–December period, the European External Action Service (EEAS) announced on Friday.
The outlook is linked to a strong El Niño event expected to peak between late 2026 and early 2027, overlapping with Lesotho’s main planting and crop-growing season.
The six-month project is due to run through March 2027, with anticipatory actions starting ahead of the expected impacts of reduced rainfall. Support will be delivered through the Lesotho Red Cross Society.
Assistance will include last-mile early warning messages — information delivered directly to communities — shared through public gatherings, community structures, community radio stations and social media platforms
The response will also include multipurpose cash assistance for vulnerable families in two priority districts.
Food insecurity projections
An estimated 311,000 people — around one in five in Lesotho — are projected to face food insecurity between October 2026 and March 2027, the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee said.
Seven of the 10 assessed districts are expected to experience IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) food insecurity, it added, referring to a classification system used to describe the severity of food insecurity.
The two districts were prioritised based on vulnerability, anticipated drought impacts, food insecurity and findings from risk and needs assessments.
Initial assessments carried out with partners will inform targeted response efforts.
The funding forms part of the EU’s broader contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
