Christian Aid is sending £100,000 to its partners in Malawi to support tens of thousands of people through the next harvest. Families have been running out of food as Malawi faces its lowest harvest levels in a decade.
Christian Aid has spent £1.7 million on emergency work in Malawi since 2002. But this year, the crisis has worsened, and Christian Aid partners have asked for extra support until the next harvest.The additional funding is part of a planned £1.1 million aid package from the Action by Churches Together (ACT) network of which Christian Aid is a member. Over 100,000 people in districts suffering the most will be fed through this fund. The money will also be used to buy seed and fertilisers, so people can plant crops for the next season.
In April, Christian Aid partner CARD began food distributions in Nsanje district, one of the hardest-hit areas. Priority of aid is given to those who are most vulnerable, especially malnourished children and chronically sick people.
But as the situation grows worse in Nsanje, families are selling everything for food. Food markets are empty and the poorest are eating edible water lily roots near Shire river, which his swamped with crocodiles. Villagers from Tengani reported that several people have been killed but those who are desperate cannot help but take the risk.
However, Christian Aid reports that families involved with their partner’s ongoing food, farming and disaster preparedness projects, are handling the crisis better.
One man from Nsanje says that he received three guinea fowl from CARD four months ago. Since then, 23 young have been produced by the birds. Six have been eaten by his family and nine have been sold to purchase maize, enough to last for five months.
According to World Food Programme, at least five million people will need food aid before March next year until the next harvest.
