South Africa's Western Cape declares drought disaster

South Africa's Western Cape province has declared a drought disaster as it faces its worst water shortage in 113 years.

Provincial leader Helen Zille said water will be harvested by drilling boreholes to serve key points like hospitals in Cape Town.

The alert will last for three months but could be extended if the crisis persists, she said in a statement.

Southern African nations are reeling from a two-year drought.

The UN estimates that over 40 million people have been affected by the drought that was caused by the El Nino climate phenomenon.