Buhera, in Zimbabwe's eastern Manicaland Province, is no stranger to frequent droughts. Often, only additional aid from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) gets these communities through.

Enny Nyashanu, an 83-year-old grandmother, benefits from WFP food handouts.

"Our region is prone to drought. Aid agencies come to our rescue each year when crops fail. We cannot continue to rely on aid," says Nyashanu.

Her words reveal a long-held existential concern that has been thrust into a sobering reality in 2025. Families in Southern Africa, like Nyashanu's, fear for their survival in the coming years if American aid is completely withdrawn. Ominously, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), which relies on American funding for nearly half its budget, has closed its Southern Africa bureau as the Trump administration's "America First" agenda slashes aid.

The sudden move came despite an El Nino induced drought causing Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and........

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