By: Andrew Mkonda
Lilongwe, May 21, Mana: World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director, Hyoung Joon Lim, has expressed satisfaction with the distribution of relief maize to households that are food insecure across the country.
Lim was speaking on Wednesday at Mawelu, in the area of Senior Chief Kalolo in Lilongwe, where he visited to observe the distribution of relief maize to 600 households affected by hunger due to the impact of natural disasters.
He said WFP is prudently aware that in the past years Malawi has suffered a severe impact of natural disasters, resulting to a serious food security crisis.
“Our principle is reaching to the right people with right food and at the right time, and I am happy to see happy faces of the beneficiaries after receiving bags of maize. This is quite commendable,” he said.
Lim then said the WFP will continue supporting the government in assisting the most vulnerable people in the country with relief food saying that government on its own cannot make it.
“We appreciate the efforts made by the Malawi government under the leadership of President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, to respond to the natural disasters and address people’s need such as food,” he said.
In his remarks, DoDMA’s Director of Preparedness and Response for Disaster Management Affairs, Rev. Moses Chimphepo thanked the WFP for the timely donation saying many people are in dire need of such support due to their food insecurity.
“We are happy to report that we have distributed this relief maize for three phases now, and without this support from our partners the situation would have worsened,” he said.
Speaking earlier, a representative of Senior Chief Kalolo, Group Village headman Chibungo urged his subjects to use the donation for the intended purpose and not to sale it.
“There are several people across the country that are in dire need of such donation. It will therefore be unfair to hear that some beneficiaries are selling the donated maize flour,” he said.
Currently, over two Million farming households nationwide have been affected by hunger due to the effects of the ongoing E-l Nino conditions.
