UK gives Malawi K5 billion for hunger victims

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The United Kingdom (UK) has announced that it will give Malawi government K5 billion as humanitarian assistance to help people affected by hunger in the country.

The support is in response to Malawi’s international appeal for emergency aid following widespread droughts and flooding.

hunger malawi
The UK hopes the aid will reach children such as these ones (Photo Credit, Dan Church Aid)

Speaking after an audience with President Peter Mutharika at Kamuzu palace where he announced the assistance, the Scottish Secretary David Mundell, who is on a three-day visit to Malawi said he was pleased to relay to Mutharika the additional support.

“This assistance is in parallel to discussions with the government and other donors on how collectively we can urgently introduce new ways of working and reforms that will help break the yearly cycle of food insecurity in Malawi

“This new UK funding will help strengthen this bond and provide life-saving support to hundreds of thousands of Malawians,” he said.

On his part, Mutharika applauded the gesture saying the support has arrived on time.

“Malawi and Scotland share a 157-years long history of fraternal relations. Indeed, Scotland is the oldest good friend for Malawi from Europe, and this is testified and enjoyed by the people of the two brotherly countries.” said Mutharika.

The announcement brings the UK’s humanitarian support in Malawi since October 2015 to £14.5m and the donor hopes the money will among others ensure that a Save the Children-led consortium can provide small cash transfers to over 450,000 people to buy basic food supplies for their families at food markets, helping stimulate local maize and other food markets.

The UK aid will also help the World Food Programme (WFP) to deliver emergency food packages for over 800,000 people and assist UNICEF to undertake mass screening of up to 800,000 children to identify urgent nutritional support needs.