An insurance payout of $11.2 million has been given to the government of Malawi in response to a severe drought caused by El Nino that prompted the southern African country to declare a state of emergency earlier this year.

Malawi received the settlement this month, the African Development Bank announced on Monday. Through the bank and the African Union organisation African Risk Capacity Group, Malawi has a drought insurance policy.

The African Development Bank stated that the funding will help with direct relief payments to over 100,000 households as well as food assistance to almost 235,000 households in some of Malawi’s most affected districts.

Lazarus Chakwera, the president of Malawi, described the payment as “a lifeline for our vulnerable populations.”

The El Nino natural weather phenomenon is responsible for the drought that has devastated Malawi’s food supply, making the country already among the poorest in the world. The drought lasted for a full year before concluding in June. In March, the nation declared a state of emergency, citing a food crisis in 23 out of 28 districts.

Because of El Nino’s below-average rainfall between November and April, crops have failed throughout the region. Throughout southern Africa, small-scale agriculture provides a livelihood for tens of millions of people.

At a heads-of-state meeting this past weekend in Zimbabwe, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) stated that over 68 million people, or 17% of the region’s population, require assistance due to drought.

According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, southern Africa saw its worst drought in almost a century during the first three months of this year. All across the region, crops have failed due to El Nino’s below-average rainfall between November and April. Tens of millions of people in southern Africa depend on small-scale agriculture for their livelihood.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) announced during this past weekend’s heads-of-state conference in Zimbabwe that more than 68 million people—or 17% of the region’s population—need help as a result of the drought.

The first three months of this year saw southern Africa experience its worst drought in nearly a century, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Zimbabwe and Zambia have also declared states of emergency and requested foreign assistance. The African Development Bank stated that payouts for drought insurance were anticipated for Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe by September.