President Lazarus Chakwera emphasized the urgent need for over $200 million in humanitarian aid as he declared a state of disaster across most of Malawi’s provinces due to drought.

With 23 out of the country’s 28 districts now under a state of disaster, President Chakwera highlighted the plight of 2 million farming households impacted by El Niño-induced dry spells, necessitating immediate food assistance.

His announcement coincided with the commencement of a food distribution initiative in Neno district, southern Malawi, led by the World Food Programme in collaboration with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs.

Reflecting on the dire situation, aid beneficiary Manes Kanjala, who farms over an acre and a half of land, lamented the complete loss of maize crops due to the scorching sun following erratic rainfall patterns.

Brighton Mphinga, the Disaster Risk Management Officer for Neno district, anticipated an influx of humanitarian aid following the president’s declaration, stressing the severity of the situation exacerbated by the prolonged dry spell.

The “Presidential Initiative to Stop Hunger” has been launched, appealing to both local communities and the international community to assist in addressing the crisis.

An estimated 600,000 metric tons of food aid are urgently required to alleviate the growing hunger crisis in Malawi, a country recurrently plagued by adverse weather conditions in recent years.