The agreement settled by DoDMA, World Bank and WFP
* Through funding from World Bank Group valued at US$35 million as as shared commitment to addressing Malawi’s urgent food needs
* WFP is focused on making sure critical resources reach the people who need them most
By Duncan Mlanjira
With funding from the World Bank Group at US$35 million, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is to purchase and transport approximately 48,000 metric tons of maize on behalf of the Malawi Government to help food-insecure communities affected by the El Niño-induced drought.
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According to a joint statement from the three partners, WFP Regional Director for Southern Africa, Eric Perdison was in the country where he met with Department of Disaster Management (DoDMA) to sign the agreement to import the maize from Tanzania.
The meeting also discussed details of the agreement and reaffirm their shared commitment to addressing Malawi’s urgent food needs: “WFP is focused on making sure critical resources reach the people who need them most,” Perdison is quoted as saying.
“This collaboration shows the strength of partnerships in tackling the challenges caused by climate-related crises.”
On his part, World Bank Country Manager for Malawi, Firas Raad is quoted as saying: “The Word Bank mobilised US$50 million earlier this year to help Malawi address the impact of the recent El Niño-induced drought in the country.
“We hope this financing will provide greater food security to vulnerable households, and we are proud of our close collaboration with WFP.”
Kalemba and Perdison
The statement explains that 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 programme that helps countries quickly access resources during emergencies.
Under this agreement, WFP will procure and transport the 48,000 metric tons of maize from Tanzania for the Government to distribute to the 954,000 households to fill some of the food deficit caused by the El Niño drought.
It is also to help vulnerable households towards ensuring communities have access to food until the next harvest between April and July — with WFP providing logistics support to help the Government transport the maize to distribution points across Malawi.
“This is a significant step in complementing Malawi Government’s efforts in provision of relief assistance to food-insecure households across the country,” Charles Kalemba, Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs, is quoted as saying in the statement.
Beyond collaborating closely with the Government to address the acute food insecurity challenges the country is currently facing through this agreement, WFP is also assisting over two million people with food assistance, including malnutrition treatment and school meals.
WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.
Thus the United Nation agency’s part in ensuring Malawi’s food security taking cognizance that over 5.7 million people were rendered food insecure following the El Niño-induced drought which negatively affected 44% of crops.
Weather update up to Tuesday
Meanwhile, the Department of Climate Change & Meteorological Services (DCCMS) reported on Friday that from yesterday to Tuesday, January 24- 28, the country should expect windy weather conditions, scattered rain and thunderstorms with heavy episodes as Congo air mass and the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) continues to influence the weather.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA), head of public weather & aviation services, Yobu Kachiwanda said the anticipated heavy rain and thunderstorms may result in cases of flash floods in some areas.
“The probability of below-normal rainfall is higher over northern areas with 33% compared to the southern areas with 17%. As such, southern highlands, shire valley and some parts of lakeshore areas should be on the lookout for flash floods.
“People should stay prepared, informed and safe during the upcoming rainfall season considering that their safety and well-being are top priorities.
“They should follow evacuation orders, move to higher grounds immediately, ensure that drainages and waterways are free of obstructions and pay attention to falling trees and power lines.”
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Kachiwanda further said in the months of January, February, and March the probability of above normal rainfall is still high with 58% chance in southern part and 50% chance in northern regions.
A review on the 2024/2025 weather patterns showed that rainfall season was expected to be influenced by La Niña, among other climate factors.
Forecasts suggested above-normal rainfall for the January up to April 2025 period and normal to below-normal rainfall during the October, November and December (OND) 2024 sub-season.
However, during the OND 2024, the country experienced a slightly lower than expected as many districts in the country experienced below-normal rainfall.—Reporting on DCCMS by Petro Mkandawire, MANA
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