Malawi president appeals for international food aid

Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has renewed his appeal for international assistance to address severe food shortages affecting more than one-quarter of the country’s population of 20 million.

Malawi is currently facing one of its worst food shortage situations in decades with about 5.7 million people affected, according to a recent Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee report. This is about a quarter of the country’s population of about 20 million people.

In rural areas, some villagers were reported to be surviving on wild plants like buffalo beans. In a televised address to the nation Wednesday evening, Chakwera discussed the ongoing issue.

"We are not out of the woods yet," he said. "This is why I continue to lobby for international support to address the humanitarian crisis we are facing."

In March of this year, the president appealed for $200 million in food aid for millions of citizens facing starvation due to a drought linked to the El Nino weather conditions. In his renewed appeal on Wednesday, Chakwera acknowledged the donations that Malawi has so far received from various development partners through the U.N. World Food Program.

"From the governments of Sweden and Netherlands, the WFP received a donation of $11.8 million," he said. "I say thank you. From the government of the United States, the WFP received a donation of $7 million, and I say thank you. From the government of the United Kingdom, the WFP received a donation of $3.8 million, and I say thank you. From the government of Japan, the WFP received a donation of $1.9 million, and I say thank you."

Chakwera said additional food aid is urgently needed to save lives.

"If you are out there standing with Malawians and giving them the help they need during this crisis, I can assure you that Malawians are honest and fair-minded people who will remember those who are bringing them food in this season of drought and hunger, and who know how to distinguish them from those who brought them nothing," he said.

Kylie Scott, head of partnerships and communication for the UN’s World Food Program in Malawi, told VOA that the UN’s food agency still needs more assistance.

"At the moment, we have got funding until the end of the year," Scott said. "But there will be a gap until March 2025. So, we are working really hard to make sure that we can close that gap and make sure that no one gets left behind."

In the meantime, Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs, the World Food Program and several local humanitarian organizations are distributing assistance to communities facing food shortages.