French Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnership, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, said on Friday France will continue providing aid to the World Food Programme (WFP) in Malawi to fight hunger.
The European country has consistently supported hunger interventions in Malawi.
Last month’s €500,000 (K623 million at that time’s exchange rate) additional support brought France’s contribution to WFP in Malawi to €1 million (K1.2 billion at that time’s rate).
Zacharopoulou said in an exclusive interview that as France co-chairs the Global School Meals Coalition with Finland and Brazil, it is fully dedicated to achieving the United Nation’s Zero Hunger Sustainable Development Goal with “our 110+ partners including Malawi”.
The minister, who had an audience with President Lazarus Chakwera on Thursday, said one of the key areas they were looking to support was the provision of school meals.
“Providing school meals at least once a day is pivotal for all aspects of development. It is critical to foster education; it is necessary to ensure public health; it is vital to promote gender equality. That is why this is a cornerstone of our aid here,” she said.
The minister said the initiative tops the support they provide for public health through the Global Fund against Aids, Malaria, and Tuberculosis, or World Health Organisation to fight against cholera.
She said France was back 20 years after the latest French ministerial visit and that she was happy to re-engage with Lilongwe on behalf of Paris.
“We want to build on the solid foundations we already laid out: development cooperation on public health, food security, sustainable resources management…,” Zacharopoulou said.
Announcing France’s support last month, WFP Country Director Paul Turnbull said the contribution would be used to provide daily meals to 18,000 schoolchildren across 17 primary schools and a market for approximately 600 local smallholder farmers who would supply fresh food to the schools.
Additionally, 50,000 refugees would receive food assistance, Turnbull said.
“Providing nutritious food to children at school at this critical time, when some households are running out of food, will ensure learners attend school, concentrate in classes and eat nutritious, diversified meals,” he added.
Some 4.4 million people, equivalent to 22 percent of the population, are facing acute food insecurity in the lean season spanning October 2023-March 2024.
