Up to 4.2 million people in Malawi are expected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity between June and September, according to a report released by the 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.
A woman carries pumpkin leaves in the flooding-prone regions around Lake Chilwa in the Machinga district of Malawi, March 5, 2024. /CFP
In 2023, Malawi produced 3.5 million tonnes of maize, the country's staple food, but the output dropped to 2.9 million 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, or 28 percent of the population, as the country reaches the seasonal lean period.
The report further calls for the immediate distribution of over 261,500 tonnes of maize to vulnerable households in the affected districts across Malawi.
A man displays fish on the shores of Lake Chilwa in the Machinga district of Malawi. In 2015, the Lake Chilwa in Malawi completely dried out because of climate change, which led to the loss of most species of fish, putting more pressure on another vital food source. /CFP
Chipiliro Khamula, a spokesperson for the country's Department of Disaster Management Affairs, told the local media on Wednesday that the department is working on a response plan and the mobilization of resources.
Meanwhile, the World Food Program is targeting 2.5 million people in the affected population with food assistance, said Simon Denhere, the organization's deputy country director.
Maize crops growing in the Machinga region of Malawi, March 4, 2024. /CFP
The WFP country chief told local media that the response program requires $80 million, but the organization had only raised $20 million 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.