The United Kingdom has given Malawi $3 million (about K6.8 billion) to support response efforts to the impact of El Nino weather phenomenon which has left about two million households food insecure.
The support is also a response to President Lazarus Chakwera’s declaration of a State of Disaster in the country’s 23 districts following the El Nino-induced dry spells and floods.
Making the announcement at the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) Kanengo Silos in Lilongwe yesterday, British High Commissioner Fiona Ritchie said her government mobilised the resources after hearing Chakwera’s plea for assistance.
It is our wish to see warehouses in Malawi full so that people have enough to eat up to the time they harvest enough for themselves, she said, adding that she was impressed with the stocks in the warehouses.
In his remarks, Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) commissioner Charles Kalemba said Malawi needs a total of $446.7 million to support the hunger-stricken people up to the next harvesting season since the food relief period has been extended.
He said government needs to raise $368.7 million (about K639 billion) to support two million households or about nine million people affected by hunger due to the El Nino induced drought and floods.
Said Kalemba: So far, over $100 million has been mobilised from various donors, meaning that we are remaining with a deficit of about $368.7 million, so we are continuing to engage our partners to come to our support.
He said normally, the lean season starts from October to March, but after the President’s declaration of a State of Disaster, food distribution will continue until the next harvesting season.
What we are saying is that we were supposed to finish distributing food items in March, but when we evaluated the situation we saw that people had not harvested enough. So, we have to continue distributing food relief up to the next harvesting season, he said.
Since the disaster declaration, various donors have come in with various support.
The World Bank quickly released $57.6 million in innovative grant financing designed to provide the country with immediate liquidity, the Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option.
According to Kalemba, the UK grant will be managed by the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP), which is one of the government’s major partners in hunger response.
WFP deputy country director Simon Denhere said the UK’s support will be channeled through cash transfers, distribution of food items, addressing malnutrition and school feeding programmes, and transporting food items.
