MALAWI: Africa in general was hit by drought last year, but it was Malawi who bore hardest hit. Due to poor rain, crops have failed 2.8 million people are at risk to go to beds with hungry stomach. The common staple in region for food is Maize and its prices in Malawi have gone record 73 % higher than the average of last three tears.
The price of maize – the staple for most of the region – is
73 percent higher in Malawi than the three-year average for this
time of year, due to drought on the heels of floods, WFP noted.
According to world food agency “Prolonged dry spells in southern Africa, made worse this season by the El Nino phenomenon bringing extreme weather around
the world, mean the window for planting cereals is closing fast
or has already shut in some countries.”
WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin who has just visited drought-prone
southern Zambia said “”I´m particularly concerned that small holders won´t be able
to harvest enough crops to feed their own families through the
year, let alone to sell what little they can in order to cover
school fees and other household needs,”
WFP said it wanted to expand food and cash-based assistance
in the worst-affected southern African countries until the April
harvest, but it is struggling to raise enough money for those
programs.