Malawi’s urgent plea for more than $200 million in humanitarian aid comes as President Lazarus Chakwera declares a state of disaster across 23 out of the country’s 28 districts due to severe drought conditions.
President Chakwera revealed on Saturday (Mar. 23) that approximately 2 million farming households have been adversely affected by the El Nino-induced dry spells, leaving them in dire need of food assistance.
This declaration coincided with a food distribution effort in the southern Malawi district of Neno, where the World Food Programme, in collaboration with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, provided aid to affected communities.
Beneficiary Manes Kanjala, expressing the widespread impact of the drought, shared how his family’s usual maize harvest was completely devastated by the lack of adequate rainfall and excessive sun.
Brighton Mphinga, the Disaster Risk Management Officer for Neno district, highlighted the anticipated increase in humanitarian support following the presidential declaration, emphasizing the critical need for assistance to address the severe hunger crisis exacerbated by the dry spell.
The “Presidential Initiative to Stop Hunger” seeks assistance from both local communities and the international community to address the pressing food shortage, with an estimated requirement of 600,000 metric tons of food aid.
Malawi’s vulnerability to weather extremes has become increasingly apparent in recent years, with neighboring Zambia also declaring a national disaster in response to similar challenges in late February.
