Food Aid Only Hunger Relief for Malawi Village

Member of Parliament George Chaponda gave bags of maize and soya pieces to families in Chonde on 26 February 2024.

MULANJE, Malawi- A lawmaker distributed emergency food aid to 150 hungry households in Mulanje district, saying relief is critical with Malawians struggling to eat, writes Judgement Katika.

Member of Parliament George Chaponda gave bags of maize and soya pieces to families in Chonde on 26 February 2024.

He said the aid will help address the hunger crisis gripping parts of the country.

"This will assist in alleviating hunger that people in my constituency are facing and the whole country," Chaponda said.

Recipient Filesi Wyson said her household had gone days without eating before the food delivery. "We have been staying a couple of days without any food and this will assist us in many ways," she said.

Chaponda recently raised concerns in Parliament about widespread hunger and urged solutions. Drought has left many in the southern African nation without enough to eat.

"Resilience programs are the only solution to alleviate the situation," Chaponda said Tuesday.

President Lazarus Chakwera pledged in his State of the Nation address to spend 12 billion kwacha on maize purchases and 40 billion kwacha on agricultural production to bolster food security.

But Chaponda said immediate aid is still needed in hard-hit communities. He said his own relief efforts will continue.

Officials say 2.5 million people are in crisis urgently needing assistance.

With harvests delayed by dry weather, aid agencies warn hunger will worsen through March across southern Malawi.