Malawi: Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has commenced its lean season food distribution in Blantyre. The officials have reported that thousands of residents gathered at Kamuzu Stadium to receive the much needed relief.
The food crisis of the nation has been affecting several communities, who have been calling on the government to support them. The Department of Disaster Management Affairs has been working steadfastly on this mandate.
The President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera is also aware of the crisis that several communities of Malawi are facing. DoDMA’s Director of Preparedness and Response, Reverend Moses Chimphepo, said the initiative follows a directive from the President.
Dr. Lazarus Chakwera visited the Lower Shire and other district in the southern region and saw the need for lean season food support for many families. He has since tasked the organization to distribute food to the vulnerable families
“During the President’s visit, people raised concerns about food shortages. in response to the pleas, he directed that DoDMA immediately begin distributing food,” Chimphepo said.
Laytton Nkata, Director of Administration for Blantyre City Council, described the hunger situation in Blantyre as ‘quite serious.’ He highlighted that 50 000 households will benefit from the food distribution done by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs.
“We’ve learned a lot from the Tropical Cyclone Freddy. With this cooperation between the council and DoDMA, we will be able to assist those affected,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries of the food distribution is a 70-year-old woman from Machinjiri district. Her farmland was destroyed by floods and she has expressed her gratitude for the support.
“I’m so happy with what the government has done, I usually buy 10kg of flour to feed my children and grandchildren, with my crop field swept away by floods, it has been difficult to survive as such this 50kg of maize will help us a lot,” she said.
DoDMA is distributing 50-kilogramme bags of maize to individuals, an effort prompted by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report. According to this report, around 5.7 million Malawians are expected to face food shortages this lean season.