Children in Southern Africa are going hungry following the region’s worst drought in 100 years, as a charity leader warns they are ‘desperate’ for support. The El Niño weather cycle, which can cause extremes of both drought and wet weather, has had a devastating effect on crop planting and harvesting over the last three years. It’s estimated 21 million children in the region are suffering from malnutrition and harvests in 2025 again look set to be poor.