Millions of Malawians risk food shortages, UN humanitarian office says

With maize prices escalating as Malawians run out of their own harvest production and with more than 4.5 million people facing the risk of food shortages, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it is preparing to alert donors that the pledges in hand cover less than half of the need.

The Government of Malawi is working to replenish its strategic grain reserves, but price increases mean that many people, especially the poor, will be unable to meet their food needs without help, OCHA said.

Its expected donor alert will be based on the findings of the Vulnerability Assessment Commission mission led by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), it said. “Current pledges represent only 40 per cent of food assistance requirements,” it added.

Earlier this month the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimated that the production of maize, Malawi's most important staple, might be less than 1.3 million tons this year, the lowest in a decade and around 26 per cent less than last year's relatively poor harvest.

Early and above-average rains had raised hopes for a good crop, but the rains failed during the critical period from late January to the end of February, after exceptionally heavy rains in December and early January, especially in the southern and central part of the country, caused crop losses from flooding.

Although institutional donors have already started considering ways to increase humanitarian aid and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were likely to provide part of the 60 per cent unmet need, “a substantial shortfall remains likely,” OCHA said.