UN Seeks $70M in Urgent Aid for 2M Hungry Malawians After Drought
President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera declared a state of disaster on March 23 as the 2024/2025 lean season is anticipated to start earlier and be more severe than usual.
LILONGWE, Malawi— The United Nations World Food Programme is appealing for urgent $70 million to provide emergency food assistance for the next three months to 2 million Malawians threatened by hunger after devastating drought, writes Esther Banda.
The WFP said Tuesday that 23 of Malawi's 28 districts were affected by drought and dry spells linked to El Niño, with 44% of national crop areas damaged.
Parts of the south and center experienced prolonged dry spells that ruined crops while flooding washed away crops in some northern and central areas.
"The impact is huge, and so are the needs. We can avert a hunger catastrophe for the hardest hit families, but time is not on our side. I'm calling on the international community to step up now and help us save lives," said Paul Turnbull, the WFP country director and representative in Malawi.
Besides a shortage of the staple maize crop forcing Malawi to import cereals, prices have skyrocketed with the cost nearly doubling in just one year and tripling the five-year average.
To respond to the crisis, the WFP said it will support the Malawi government through the disaster management department to transport and procure maize and cereals.
President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera declared a state of disaster on March 23 as the 2024/2025 lean season is anticipated to start earlier and be more severe than usual.
The U.N. has warned that hunger levels in Malawi are unprecedented, with last year's lean season continuing into 2024 due to the calamitous combination of drought, flooding and economic instability.