The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) has made the surprising decision to shut down its Southern Africa bureau, despite the region's worst drought in 40 years, which has left 26 million people in seven nations at risk of running out of food before this year's harvest in May.

The closure of the bureau, which was disclosed to UN staff via an email from Global Executive Director Cindy McCain, comes at a time when the WFP is leading efforts to address the devastating drought crisis in the region. The organization, which gets most of its funding from the United States, has decided to shut down its Johannesburg office, citing "challenging times" and "difficult choices".

The move is particularly surprising given the critical role the Southern Africa bureau plays in acquiring and transporting hundreds of thousands of tons of food from South Africa and other nations to countries in need. The WFP's website notes that it sources over 60% of its food, products, and services locally, highlighting the importance of the bureau's operations.

Countries such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique have been beneficiaries of the program, given the devastating effects of climate change on their agricultural sectors, which has affected 70% of corn produced from the region. Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia have declared a national disaster as a result of the worst drought to hit Southern Africa in years.

The decision to close the bureau has been met with surprise and concern, particularly among the 160 workers at the Johannesburg office who were given a heads-up that their bureau would be merged with the one in Nairobi. According to a source close to the development, the closure of the office, slated for February 27th, came as a surprise.

The WFP has been providing impacted individuals with food and financial aid, and it hopes to reach over 7.2 million people this month. Despite the closure of the Southern Africa bureau, the organization's East African bureau in Nairobi will take over the responsibilities of the shuttered office.

The timing of the closure is also noteworthy, given the ongoing tensions between South Africa and the United States, which is a major funder of the WFP. The decision has raised questions about the impact of geopolitical tensions on humanitarian efforts, particularly in regions most vulnerable to climate change.

The WFP's decision to shut down its Southern Africa bureau serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by humanitarian organizations in addressing global crises. As the region struggles to cope with the devastating effects of drought, the closure of the bureau raises concerns about the long-term implications for food security and humanitarian aid in Southern Africa.