Zimbabwe declares drought disaster, the latest in a region where El Nino has left millions hungry

 Zimbabwe declared a state of disaster Wednesday over a devastating drought that's sweeping across much of southern Africa, with the country’s president saying it needs $2 billion for humanitarian assistance. The declaration was widely expected following similar actions by neighboring Zambia and Malawi, where drought linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon has scorched crops, leaving millions of people in need of food assistance.