By Emmanuel Chilemba:
Vice-President Jane Ansah has urged authorities in district councils to ensure fairness in the distribution of food to hunger-stricken households across the country.
The appeal comes as the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) rolls out food distribution under the Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme.
Speaking in Chikwawa District, where she presided over the distribution of food to more than 43,000 households, Ansah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reaching all targeted beneficiaries with relief items.
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She also warned beneficiaries against selling their packages, saying such behaviour is unacceptable and that authorities will act decisively against offenders.
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“The government has joined hands with companies and other stakeholders that have supported this initiative.
“We will continue to call for support, as over 43,000 people are affected in Chikwawa alone. Nationwide, over four million people across 28 districts are affected, so we need more maize to distribute,” Ansah said.
She further urged residents in flood-prone areas of the Shire Valley districts to relocate to upland areas.
On long-term planning, the vice president said the government will continue implementing irrigation farming to ensure food security in the country.
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Dodma Commissioner Wilson Moleni urged beneficiaries not to sell the donated food and reaffirmed the department’s commitment to ensuring relief items reach all targeted households.
Meanwhile, Senior Chief Chapananga and Chikwawa Central Parliamentarian Gerald Bede commended the government for its “timely intervention”, saying it will go a long way in easing the burden of hunger.
The government, through Dodma, is distributing maize to households identified in the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee report, which projected that over four million people will face food shortages in the 2025-26 consumption year.
