By Salome Gangire

Neno, January 23, Mana: Government has reaffirmed its commitment to address food insecurity during this year’s lean season, pledging to provide food and financial assistance to vulnerable households across the country.

Deputy Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Joyce Chitsulo, said this on Wednesday at Chifunga Primary School in the area of Traditional Authority Mlauli in Neno where she presided over the distribution of maize under the Lean Season Response Programme for December.

She said government is committed to ensure that no Malawian should die of hunger during this year’s lean season.

“No one will die of hunger here as the government is doing everything possible to distribute maize and provide financial assistance to food-insecure households,” Chisulo said.

Chitsulo highlighted that the food relief effort in Neno District covers six months from October 2024 to March 2025, ensuring that food-insecure households receive the necessary assistance.

Neno District Commissioner, Rosemary Nawasha expressed gratitude for the programme, noting there is a high demand for food in the district due to prolonged dry spells in the last growing season.

“The food response programme, launched in October 2024 has been a lifeline for people in the district. Without it, many would struggle to survive,” Nawasha said.

She said 13,869 beneficiaries are benefiting in the 2024-2025 lean season response programme in the district and the food assistance is being delivered through two modalities: cash transfers for social cash transfer (SCT) beneficiaries who have received K70, 000 representing a vertical expansion and in-kind maize distribution for others.

“Beneficiaries of SCT have received lump sum payments of K210,000 for three months, from December to February funded by the European Union (EU) and others are receiving a 50 kilogrammes bag of maize,” said the District Commissioner.

A beneficiary from Feremu Village, Traditional Authority Mlauli, Flora Chemtulo thanked government for the maize distribution saying it will go a long way in averting the hunger situation at her household.

“I am so grateful to the government for the timely maize distribution under the programme which has come at the right time as I ran out of maize flour and my household was facing hunger,” she said.

The Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) identified 5.6 million people across 28 districts and four cities as requiring food assistance for three to six months during the 2024/25 consumption year.

 In Neno, 13,869 households are affected, with 3,088 receiving cash transfers and the rest relying on in-kind maize distribution.