By Emmanuel Chilemba:
The Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme faces a funding deficit of K59 billion, the Office of the President and Cabinet has revealed.
This represents about 28 percent of the total proposed budget of K209 billion earmarked for providing relief items to over four million Malawians affected by food insecurity during the season.
Last year, the government launched the initiative following an assessment by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Mvac).
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Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Justin Saidi, has called for more well-wishers to support the initiative.
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Speaking in Chikwawa when the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) handed over relief items to flood survivors, Saidi commended stakeholders who have already contributed to the response.
“We will visit all 17 affected districts. The government is committed to assisting deserving households, and we continue to call on other stakeholders to support the initiative and ease the burden on affected families,” Saidi said.
Member of Parliament for Chikwawa Central, Gerald Bede, praised the government for acting swiftly to provide relief items to households currently living in camps.
Bede expressed optimism that the donations would ease the burden on flood survivors and urged more well-wishers to follow the example.
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“The last time we were affected by heavy winds, authorities also delivered timely aid. These survivors are still feeling the impact of the floods, with severe damage to houses, essential supplies and crop fields,” he said.
The donated items include maize, rice, beans, salt, blankets and various utensils.
The floods have claimed four lives and left thousands destitute in the district.
The Daily Times spot checks in affected areas, including traditional authorities Ngabu, Lundu, Ngowe and Sub-Traditional Authority Chiputula, found some houses submerged in floodwaters, with crop fields severely damaged or washed away.
The Chikwawa-Nsanje M1 Road was also badly affected, trapping motorists and disrupting transport.
The past few days, heavy rains have caused devastating floods across Malawi, displacing thousands, destroying homes and crops, killing at least 13 people and worsening food insecurity.
