The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Malawi have signed an agreement to import 48,000 metric tons of maize, valued at US$ 35 million and funded by the World Bank Group, to help food-insecure communities affected by the El Niño-induced drought.
WFP Regional Director for Southern Africa met today with the Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs to discuss the details of the agreement and reaffirm their shared commitment to addressing Malawi’s urgent food needs.
“This is a significant step in complementing Malawi Government’s efforts in provision of relief assistance to food-insecure households across the country,” said Charles Kalemba, Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs in Malawi. “The gesture reflects the strong commitment of the Government and its partners in alleviating hunger and improve food security as per the call made by the State President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera when he declared state of disaster early last year.”
“WFP is focused on making sure critical resources reach the people who need them most,” said Eric Perdison, WFP Regional Director for Southern Africa. “This collaboration shows the strength of partnerships in tackling the challenges caused by climate-related crises.”
“The Word Bank mobilized US$ 50 million earlier this year to help Malawi address the impact of the recent El Niño-induced drought in the country”, said Firas Raad, World Bank Country Manager for Malawi. “We hope this financing will provide greater food security to vulnerable households, and we are proud of our close collaboration with WFP.”
This funding comes from the Crisis Emergency Response Component (CERC), of the Food Systems Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa – Phase 3, a World Bank Group programme that helps countries quickly access resources during emergencies. Under this agreement, WFP will procure and transport approximately 48,000 metric tons of maize from Tanzania to Malawi to fill some of the food deficit caused by the El Niño drought. The Government of Malawi will distribute the food to approximately 954,000 households, in a national effort to alleviate hunger and help towards ensuring communities have access to food until the next harvest between April and July.
Malawi is currently facing acute food insecurity challenges, with 5.7 million people rendered food insecure following the El Niño-induced drought which negatively affected 44 percent of crops. WFP is collaborating closely with the Government of Malawi to address this emergency. Beyond this agreement, WFP is assisting over two million people with food assistance, including malnutrition treatment and school meals. WFP also provides logistics support to help the Government transport maize to distribution points across Malawi.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).
