By Bishop Witmos

Mangochi, March 19, Mana: CARE Malawi is implementing a Multi-purpose Cash Transfer initiative under the ECHO-funded drought response project that will see about 2,420 households in three Traditional Authorities (TAs) of Chowe, Chiunda and Namabvi in Mangochi receiving immediate relief for three consecutive months.

Speaking during the distribution exercise of the first delivery of K92, 500 per household on Tuesday, Humanitarian Assistant Programs Manager for Care Malawi, Burnet Khulumbo, said the exercise is targeting households that were affected by EL Nino induced drought last year, in order to cushion them from hunger.

Khulumbo said apart from the EL Nino affected households, they will also assist those that were recently affected by Cyclone Jude with a cash cushion of K70, 000 per household and other non-food items in order to ease their suffering.

“The drought response project which will be implemented with a consortium of eight organizations in multipurpose cash transfers to households that were affected by EL Nino-induced drought, supporting them with cash assistance in three phases so that they are able to buy food,” said Khulumbo.

A total of 339 households in TA Chowe, and Sub TA Moto in Mangochi were affected by Cyclone Jude in March.

One of the affected people, Patricia Ishmaila, from Nalikolo Village, TA Chowe commended the organization for the assistance saying it will go a long way in supporting her family to make ends meet.

“The support is timely as my family had no food to eat because we harvested little last year. Apart from that, Cyclone Jude has this year affected us heavily as most of our crop fields are washed away. It is my appeal to stakeholders for more food assistance,” said Ishmaila.