By Beatrice Bangula

Blantyre, September 18, Mana: Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has commenced its lean season food distribution in Blantyre where thousands of residents gathered at Kamuzu Stadium to receive the much needed relief.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana), DoDMA’s Director of Preparedness and Response, Reverend Moses Chimphepo, said the initiative follows a directive from President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera after his visit to the Lower Shire and other districts in the southern region.

“During the President’s visit, people raised concerns about food shortages and in response, 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,’ noting that 50, 000 households will benefit from the food distribution.

“We’ve learned a lot from the Tropical Cyclone Freddy and with this cooperation between the council and DoDMA, we will be able to assist those affected,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries, a 70-year-old woman from Machinjiri, Vera Chiwaula whose farmland was destroyed by floods, expressed her gratitude for the support.

“I’m so happy with what the government has done, I usually buy 10kgs of flour to feed my children and grandchildren, having my crop field swept away by floods, it has been difficult to survive as such this 50kgs 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, which indicated that around 5.7 million Malawians are expected to face food shortages this lean season.