Desperate Search for Water in Drought-Stricken Zimbabwe

In the parched village of Kurima, Zimbabwe, a community is fighting for survival. 

The Vombozi River, once a reliable source of water, has dried up, leaving behind a barren riverbed. 

Men, women, and children are digging into the river floor, desperate to extract the last drops of water.

The drought has left close to 70 million people without enough food and water in southern Africa. 

In Zimbabwe, 7.7 million people face hunger, and children are bearing the brunt. Hospital admissions for malnutrition have doubled since June.

Gracious Phiri, a mother of five, spends three hours daily fetching water from the riverbed. "I have never seen anything like this," she says, worried about her family getting sick.

A village feeding program is trying to tackle the problem, but food stocks are dwindling. Clinics are also struggling, with boreholes running dry and a major dam having only a month's supply of water left.

Tambudzai Mahachi, a farmer, has lost her entire crop. "We have gone from eating what we want and when we want to limiting meals," she says, struggling to feed her children.

The Southern African Development Community has appealed for $5.5 billion in aid, but only a tiny fraction has been received. The situation is dire, and the hunger and water crisis is yet to peak.