Malawi President Declares Disaster Over Hunger Crisis
Chakwera appealed for international aid and donations, estimating close to 600,000 metric tons of maize valued at 357.6 billion kwacha will be needed for the "humanitarian response programme."
LILONGWE, Malawi — Malawi's president declared a state of disaster in 23 of the country's 28 districts on Saturday, citing a hunger crisis driven by drought and other climate change effects that have affected close to 2 million farming households, writes Winston Mwale.
"It is on the basis of this report that I stand before you tonight, by the powers conferred upon me by Section 37(1) of the Disaster Risk Management Act (2023), to declare a State of Disaster in 23 out of Malawi's 28 districts affected by El Nino conditions," President Lazarus Chakwera said in a national address.
The declaration, effective immediately, applies to the districts hit hardest by late and erratic rains, prolonged dry spells and flooding that have severely damaged crops.
"Our preliminary assessment is that close to 2 million farming households have been affected. Specifically, 749,113 hectares of maize have been affected, representing 44.3 percent of the national crop area," Chakwera said.
He called it "devastating" coming on the heels of having to declare states of disaster three other times during his four-year presidency due to climate change impacts.
"What I saw recently in Nkhotakota and Karonga districts is simply heart breaking," the president said, describing flood damage to homes, infrastructure and displacement of over 70% of 17,033 households in those two districts alone.
Chakwera appealed for international aid and donations, estimating close to 600,000 metric tons of maize valued at 357.6 billion kwacha will be needed for the "humanitarian response programme."
"I am calling on all Malawians of good will, both here at home and abroad, all our development partners, the international community, all relevant United Nations Agencies, the World Bank, non-governmental organizations, the local private sector, Members of Parliament, and all those who have any resources in cash or kind to spare, to avail those resources as donations," he said.
The president added: "There is no one in this country who should die because of hunger. So let us once again show the world the greatness we are capable of as a people when we stand together as one nation."