World Food Programme Scales Up Assistance In Flood-Hit Districts Of Malawi

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is working with the Government of Malawi and humanitarian partners to scale up assistance to reach those affected by floods in the country.

WFP had by the end of January reached nearly 210,000 people with more than 1,500 metric tons of food assistance in eight districts (Chikhwawa, Karonga, Machinga, Mulanje, Nsanje, Ntcheu, Phalombe and Zomba). WFP is now working to bring food to an additional 160,000 people who have been affected by the floods. This week, WFP will dispatch food to Mangochi, Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Blantyre, Salima and Balaka districts.

WFP’s assistance consists of maize, beans, vegetable oil and Super Cereal (a flour fortified with vitamins and minerals). Meanwhile, WFP has also provided 28 metric tons of High-Energy Biscuits to more than 34,000 people in Chikhwawa and Nsanje districts. The fortified biscuits are often used in emergencies when people have no access to cooking facilities.

WFP has been able to reach hard-to-reach areas of the hardest hit areas of Chikhwawa and Nsanje using its own helicopter.

WFP is encouraged by the contributions and pledges made so far. However, additional contributions are urgently required to fill the funding gap.

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WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 75 countries.