By Daniel Zimba:
Ukraine has donated 19,000 metric tonnes of maize to Malawi as part of the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative.
The aid is expected to alleviate Malawi’s food shortages, where at least five million people are reported to be in need of support during the October 2024–March 2025 lean period.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Kenya, who is also concurrently accredited to Malawi, Andrii Pravednyk, said that it was important for his country to support Malawi, citing the longstanding relationship between the two nations.
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“Malawi is one of the African countries that has consistently supported Ukraine in various multilateral organisations, particularly within the United Nations. This is why we are helping them and we will continue to do so,” Pravednyk said.
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He added that despite Ukraine’s own challenges, it understands the importance of supporting nations in need.
Charles Kalemba, Commissioner of the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma), expressed gratitude to Ukraine for the donation, as well as to Sweden, France and the Netherlands for facilitating the delivery of the maize.
Kalemba acknowledged Malawi’s reliance on external aid and stressed the importance of achieving self-sufficiency through improved agriculture and better use of local resources.
“Ukraine is also struggling with war and other difficulties, yet they are able to help. This reminds us that we still have friends in times of need but it is also a lesson.
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“We must learn to use the resources we have to stabilise ourselves so that, in the future, we can be the ones to support other countries,” Kalemba said.
He added that the Russia-Ukraine conflict has affected Malawi’s economy and agricultural production, particularly in relation to key inputs such as fertiliser.
Swedish Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Per Lingarde, condemned the conflict while praising Ukraine’s continued support despite the challenges it faces.
“We thought it was important to support this initiative because Malawi has recently experienced severe climate-related shocks, which we are all aware of,” Lingarde said.
World Food Programme Country Director Paul Turnbull, whose organisation is coordinating with Dodma in the food response, assured that the grain would be efficiently distributed to vulnerable Malawians.
“We are also sourcing additional resources to extend our efforts,” Turnbull said.
In March this year, President Lazarus Chakwera declared a state of disaster in 23 of the country’s 28 districts, where around two million households had been severely affected by climate-related disasters.
The support from Ukraine amounts to 280,000 50-kilogramme bags of maize, which would be enough to reach food-insecure households in districts such as Machinga for at least three months.
