QACHA’S NEK — A severe hailstorm has caused widespread destruction in the Sehlabathebe area, leaving fruits and vegetables ruined and livestock injured, with Mpharane emerging as the hardest-hit community.
Speaking to the agency on Thursday, Koung, Ha Paulosi Area Chief Tekano Tlali, stated that the storm struck at around 8:30 p.m., damaging crops in both household gardens and fields, including apple orchards.
“The two of us as apple farmers around the area, our apples were destroyed,” he said. “It was the biggest hailstorm I have ever seen and this kind of damage was also the first of its kind.”
Chief Tlali stated that the matter has been reported to the Area Technical Officer, but expressed deep concern over the timing of the disaster.
“This is really worrisome. People are already battling hunger, so their efforts to prevent food insecurity were met with this terrible fate. We really don’t know what we are going to do,” he said.
Ha Moshebi Chief Masoabi Mohale also expressed worry, saying the damage threatens household food supplies and livelihoods in a community already struggling to cope with rising hunger.
Sehlabathebe Acting Area Technical Officer (ATO) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN) Mr. Molahlehi Ts’eole confirmed that while hailstorms are not uncommon, the intensity and frequency of this week’s incidents are alarming.
“Hailstorm is normal and last year we still experienced it, but it wasn’t this big. This was the second time it happened this week,” he said.
Mr. Ts’eole said he has received numerous reports from residents requesting shade nets to protect crops. Although he has yet to conduct a full assessment, preliminary observations suggest extensive damage.
“The vegetables I saw in the gardens and plots were badly affected. One farmer even asked me what he can plant aside from maize because a hailstorm ruined it,” he said.
He expressed concern that the incident comes at a time when the area is already battling malnutrition, worsened by climate change, poor feeding practices, inadequate hygiene and sanitation, and limited access to a variety of fruits and vegetables.
“We are trying to help communities through climate-smart plots for sustainable production, but this incident is beyond us. We talk about climate change a lot, and although many understand it, when it becomes reality, it still comes as a shock,” Ts’eole said.
He warned that malnutrition has serious long-term consequences, including impaired physical and mental development and weakened immune systems, particularly among children.
The destruction in Sehlabathebe reflects a broader national trend. According to a 2023 food security analysis by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project’s analysis partner, climate-related shocks such as droughts, dry spells and erratic rainfall continue to undermine agricultural production in Lesotho, where over 70 percent of rural households depend on rain-fed farming.
The report notes that repeated climate shocks have reduced crop yields, increased food prices and left hundreds of thousands of Basotho vulnerable to acute food insecurity, particularly in rural districts such as Qacha’s Nek.
Meanwhile, the 2023–24 Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey shows that 36 percent of children under five are stunted nationally, exceeding the World Health Organization’s public health threshold.
Qacha’s Nek records the highest prevalence at 47.9 percent, followed by Thaba-Tseka at 46.3 percent, Mohale’s Hoek at 44.7 percent and Quthing at 38.8 percent.
Experts warn that climate change is likely to intensify extreme weather events, including hailstorms, further threatening food availability and nutrition in vulnerable communities. . .
Ends/MAPM
