U.S. Government Boosts Malawi Government's and WFP’s Efforts to Achieve Zero Hunger

Lilongwe, Malawi – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a $9.5 million (about MK7.7 billion) contribution from the United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development(USAID), to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable households, support livelihoods of community members, and strengthen capacity of national and local institutions to better address food security, disaster risk management, and emergency responses in Malawi. 

WFP will use this contribution to provide cash and/or food transfers to 42,000 refugees hosted at Dzaleka Camp, malnourished people, and the most vulnerable populations affected by seasonal shocks. Through this assistance, WFP will continue helping 382,000 food insecure Malawians buy food and other basic livelihood needs and support more than 52,000 households to attain sustainable livelihoods. In addition, WFP will use the contribution to strengthen capacity and  transfer skills to national and local institutions involved in food security, nutrition, food safety, disaster risk management, and emergency response.

Benoit Thiry, WFP Malawi Country Director, welcomed the resources and noted, “The U.S. government continues to help in building the resilience of vulnerable communities in Malawi against climatic shocks and improve their food security. We are grateful to the U.S. government’s investment in breaking the cycle of hunger in Malawi.”

USAID has been supporting WFP in Malawi since 2017, helping 85,000 smallholder farmers improve their productivity, food security, and resilience to shocks. Farmers have built or maintained assets to improve their livelihoods, including community gardens and small-scale irrigation farming, creating healthier natural environments, reducing risks and impacts of shocks, and strengthening resilience to natural disasters.

“The U.S. government is honored to partner with the Government of Malawi and WFP to support Malawians and refugees as they work to increase their food security and better manage seasonal shocks such as drought and flooding. Around the world, USAID is committed to helping families and individuals produce and purchase reliable, quality food,” said Dr. Catie Lott, USAID/Malawi Mission Director.

The U.S. is one of the largest donors to WFP in Malawi, contributing $56.4 million (about MK45.4 billion) since 2017 to respond to emergencies, support refugees, and break the cycle of hunger. WFP is supporting the Government of Malawi through a range of programs, including emergency food assistance and cash-based transfers, nutritional support, and resilience-building.

About USAID 

USAID works to advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world. USAID is the U.S. government's lead agency that provides international development and disaster assistance through partnerships and investments that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises and progress beyond assistance.

Read more at: www.usaid.gov/malawi

For more information, please contact:

Badre Bahaji, WFP Malawi, Tel. +265 993 785 629, E-mail: badre.bahaji@wfp.org

Oris Chimenya, USAID Malawi, Tel. +265 882 062 986, E-mail: ochimenya@usaid.gov

About WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.  We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change. Our efforts focus on responding to emergencies while strengthening the Government's social protection system; preventing chronic malnutrition; providing locally produced school meals; and building resilience of rural communities to be more self-reliant and equipped to face climatic shocks. 

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media @wfp_Malawi

Read more about WFP’s resilience programme https://insight.wfp.org/5-solutions-to-fight-hunger-cc924480ac99