The US Government provides millions of dollars per year to Malawi in humanitarian assistance. Most often this comes in the form of food aid. Malawi's need for food assistance is complex and historically-rooted. The main food staple in Malawi is maize which is eaten with every meal.

As of November 2005, it was estimated that 4.9 million Malawians (of a 12.5 million population) are in need of food assistance. Twenty-six of Malawi's twenty-eight districts are currently receiving food aid. Southern Malawi has been particularily hardhit this year.

In addition to insufficient rainfall during the 2004-2005 rainy season, Malawi is facing additional hurdles to ensuring enough food is available to feed its people. The lack of transport, blockages of transport corridors, and poor performance of some of the main food suppliers continue to create major challenges in getting food commodities into Malawi. This coincides with the peak of the hungry season in February when demand is highest and is further exacerbated by food shortages in neighbouring countries pushing up demand, and prices, for food and transport.

Malawi experienced heavy rainfall in late December and early January, causing localised flooding that affected approximately 35,000 households mostly in Chikwawa and Nsanje Districts and also in Nkhata Bay. USAID/Malawi, the Malawian Government, UN agencies and a number of other humanitarian aid organizations are providing support.