4.2 million Malawians face hunger, report shows

Boys shell maize in Blantyre, Malawi, on April 5, 2021. [Xinhua]

Up to 4.2 million people in Malawi are expected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity between June and September, said a report released by Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee, a government-led multi-agency body.

The landlocked country, bordering Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania, experienced El Nino weather early in the year that caused drought and floods in 23 out of 28 districts, leading to a 17-percent output drop in agricultural production, according to the report.

In 2023, Malawi produced 3.5 million metric tonnes of maize, the country's staple food, but the output dropped to 2.9 million metric tonnes in the 2024 harvest season.

The report indicated that the situation is bound to worsen by October when the food-insecure population is estimated to increase to 5.7 million, 28 percent of the population, as the country reaches the seasonal lean period.

The report further calls for immediate distribution of over 261,500 metric tonnes of maize to vulnerable households in the affected districts across Malawi.

The country's Department of Disaster Management Affairs Spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula told the local media Wednesday that the department is working on a response plan and the mobilization of resources.

Meanwhile, the World Food Program (WFP) is targeting 2.5 million people of the affected population with food assistance, said Simon Denhere, the organization's deputy country director.

The WFP country chief told local media that the response program requires 80 million U.S. dollars but the organization had only raised 20 million dollars in anticipation of the food situation.

"We're still engaging with our partners to mobilize the remaining funds and the response, so far, is positive," Denhere, told the local media.

The World Bank estimates that about 72 percent of Malawians will face poverty this year following the weather shocks as inflation is expected to average 27 percent.