President Mutharika Declares Malawi a State of National Disaster

Malawi has a population of about 16 million AFP

Following the prolonged drought during the 2015/16 agriculture season, President Peter Mutharika has declared Malawi a State of National Disaster.

The Malawi Star report continues:

According to the statement, hunger is expected to hit hard in the Southern Region and parts of the Central Region. The Malawi leader said a coordinated assistance from co-operating the world will assist in alleviating the disaster currently rocking the country.

While addressing the nation on Tuesday evening, Mutharika said there is an expected 12.4 percent drop in Maize production in 2015/16 harvesting season.

Said Mutharika in a statement, “the second round Agricultural Production Estimates Survey which the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Water Development undertook between mid- February and March this year, estimates maize production for the season at 2 431 313 metric tonne, representing 12.4 percent decline in production as compared to the 2014/2015 final round estimate of 2 776 277MT.

“The country’s maize requirement for human consumption, seed, stock feed, and industrial use is currently estimated at 3,205 135MT. This being the case, it is projected that the country will face a maize deficit of about 1,072,461mt.”

The statement further revealed that the increased maize deficit will lender more people to be food insecure and will require humanitarian relief assistance for 2016/17 consumption year.

The statement further states that for the past years, floods have affected 1.1 million people in 15 of the country’s 28 districts which were affected, killed 106 people; 172 people were reported missing; 230,000 were displaced and damaged people’s property and infrastructure.

Close to 64,000 hectares of crop fields throughout the country were destroyed. The situation heavily contributed to Maize output dropped by about 30 percent, rendering 2.8 million of the 17 million people food insecure and in need of humanitarian assistance.

He added, “Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Water Development projects a total maize requirement of 1,290,000 metric tonnes (MT) to fill the deficit and avert a food crisis in the season.”

Further added Mutharika, “In the circumstances, it is very clear that we have the food shortage in the country which will affect a considerable number of our fellow citizens. Accordingly, and in accordance with powers conferred upon me by Section 32(1) of the Disaster Preparedness and Relief Act, I declare a State of National disaster effective from today, 12th April 2016. I fully appreciate all the previous assistance Malawi has been receiving when affected by disasters, including support for the on-going humanitarian response programme.”

Meanwhile, the government through Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development is expected to ascertain the actual deficit after the third round production estimates in June 2016. The results will form a basis to compute a comprehensive national food balance sheet.

Current, Mutharika has called on the international community, United Nations (UN) agencies, non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector to come up with an immediate support.

Malawi has declared a national disaster due to food shortages caused by drought ©Orlando Sierra (AFP)

Meanwhile Malawian President Peter Mutharika on Wednesday declared a state of national disaster due to food shortages caused by drought, in the latest sign of alarm over a hunger crisis across southern Africa.

Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia are all suffering food supply problems, while South Africa declared the recent drought its worst in at least 100 years.

"I declare Malawi (in) a state of national disaster following prolonged dry spells during the 2015/16 agriculture season," Mutharika said in a statement.

"The projected drop in maize harvest is estimated at 12 percent from last year's output.

"More people will be food insecure and will require humanitarian relief assistance for the whole of the 2016/17 consumption year."

The World Food Programme said it was currently assisting nearly three million people in Malawi, with about 23 of 28 districts badly affected.

"The current drought situation in Malawi came on the back of a bad crop last year, due to flooding which affected parts of the country," WFP's southern Africa spokesman David Orr told AFP.

"The situation is quite dire and we believe the worst is still to come. It will take a long time before the situations improves. Any improvement in the next months would be negligible."

In February, the WFP warned that Malawi was facing its worst food insecurity for a decade. The country has recently suffered flash floods in the north as well as drought.

In neighbouring Zimbabwe, 2.8 million people -- more than a quarter of the rural population -- do not have enough to eat. The WFP is currently providing assistance for about 730,000 people.

Southern Africa endured a poor harvest last year combined with a strong El Nino weather phenomenon, which resulted in reduced rains across the region.