Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has declared state of disaster in 23 districts following prolonged period of dry spells and floods which the country experienced.
Speaking during a National Address at Kamuzu Palace on Saturday, Chakwera said Malawi needs K357.6 billion for humanitarian assistance.
“Malawi requires over 600, 000 metric tons which will cost K357.6 billion to assist households affected by hunger,” he said.
The President said following prolonged dry spells and floods which affected 23 districts, 749, 113 hectares were affected.
He said this will affected over 2. 3 million households from affected districts such as Nsanje, Chikwawa, Blantyre, Thyolo, Phalombe, Mulanje, Chiradzulu, Zomba, Machinga, Mangochi, Salima , Mangochi, Salima, Ntcheu, Ntcheu, Dowa, Dedza, Ntchisi, Kasungu, Nkhotakota and Karonga.
President Chakwera said he ordered Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) to provide emergency food items to people affected by hunger due to cyiclone Freddy happened last year.
He also directed Ministry of Agriculture to work with other agencies to establish impacts of 2024 El Nino and the report resulted into the declaration of State of disaster.
He added that he has seen how people are suffering with impacts of climate change in the name of dryspells and floods when he visited some of the districts across the country such as Karonga, Nkhotakota and some in Southern region.
The President then appealed to people of good will from within and outside the country and international partners to to help people affected by channelling the assistance to his office through Department of Disaster Management Affairs.
Some of the crops affected by this year’s impact of climate change in the affected districts are Maize, groundnuts, soya beans,cow peas, rice among others.
