Govt to receive 48,000 metric tons of maize

Malawi is expected to receive a boost of 48,000 metric tons of maize, valued at US$ 35 million to help food-insecure communities affected by the El Niño-induced drought.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Malawi have signed an agreement funded by the World Bank Group.

WFP Regional Director for Southern Africa, Eric Perdison, met on Friday, 24 January 2025 with the Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs, Charles Kalemba, 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 the Malawi Government’s efforts in the provision of relief assistance to food insecure households across the country,” Kalemba said

He also pointed out saying: “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 Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera when he declared a state of disaster early last year.”

Perdison from the WFP highlighted that the organization remains focused on making sure critical resources reach the people who need them most.

He said,“This collaboration shows the strength of partnerships in tackling the challenges caused by climate-related crises.”

World Bank Country Manager for Malawi Firas Raad, commented: “The Word Bank mobilized US$ 50 million earlier this year to help Malawi address the impact of the recent El-induced drought in the country”,

Raad also emphasized the global banks’ commitment to collaborate with other entities such as the World Food Program to improve food security among others: “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 program 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.