DryspellsandfloodsleaveMalawistrugglingwithseverefoodshortage
ByEdwinNyirongo
AsElenataChikaondapreparesadishofchitambe-cowpealeaves-fordinneratherhomeinBalaka,adistrictintheSouthernRegionofMalawi,sheisdeeplyworried.
Themotherofthreeisstressedbecausethepreviousevening,herschool-goingchildrenrefusedtohavechitambealonefordinner.Theytoldhertheyweretiredofeating“leaves”forlunchandsupperandaskedfornsima,themaizeflourporridgethatisMalawi’sstaplefood.Theyalsowarnedhertheywouldstopgoingtoschoolifthesituationdidn’tchange.
“Thereisnoonetohelp,”thewidowsaid,moaningthelossofherhusband.“Andthereisnowheretogotodopieceworktogetmoneyforbuyingmaize.”
ThesituationhasbeenworsenedbythefactthatthereisnomaizeatthedepotsofthestateownedAgriculturalDevelopmentandMarketingCorp.(ADMARC),includingtheoneinUtale,whereshelives.
“ThelasttimemaizesuppliescametothedepotwasonJanuary8,”shesaid.“Ibought5kgwithalotofdifficulty.”Thefamilylivedonthatforanentireweek.
Afterthat,Chikaondasaidsheresortedtobeggingformaizebrananddiscardedflouratthemills.
WithnomoremaizeattheADMARCdepot,shehadtofinallyborrowmoneyandturntomaizevendorswhoarechargingpricesalmostthreetimeshigherthanatthedepots.“Themoneylenderiscominghereoften,askingforthemoney.ButevenifIgetanymoney,theprioritywillbetobuyfood,”shesaid.
ChikaondaisoneofthousandsofMalawiansfacinghungerdaily,foragingforanythingthatisedibletostaveoffstarvation.
ElNinowreakshavoc
ThefoodcrisisinthissoutheasternAfricancountryismainlyattributedtoalternatingdryspellsandfloodsthathaveaffectedmanyparts,mostlyintheLowerShire[River]area.TheyaresaidtobecausedbyElNino,thephenomenonofexcessivewarminginthePacificOcean,resultinginextendeddryweatherorexcessiveanddamagingrains.
Accordingtothe2015reportbytheMalawiVulnerabilityAssessmentCommittee(MVAC)composedofthegovernment,UNagenciesandNGOs,2.8millionpeople-almost20percentofthecountry’s16-millionpopulation-facestarvationin25ofthe28districts.
ButthechiefsofRumphiDistrictintheNorthernRegionhavefaultedthereport,sayingmorepeopleareaffectedbyhunger.
FoodsecurityinMalawiisgenerallyequatedwithadequateproductionofmaize,whichaccountsformorethan60percentofthecountry’sfoodproduction.ThelasttimeMalawifacedsuchacrisiswasduringthe2012-13farmingseason,when1.63millionpeoplesufferedfromfoodinsecurity.
TheMVACreportsaidtherewasaprojecteddeficitofover200,000metrictonsin2015-16,againsttheexpectednationalconsumptionof3millionmetrictons.
TheMinisterofAgriculture,IrrigationandWaterDevelopmentAllanChiyembekeza,toldparliamentlastMaythatthegovernmentplannedtoimport60,000metrictonsofmaizepaying$11.4million,themoneyallocatedfortheexerciseinthenationalbudget.Butthatwastoolittle.
MalawiPresidentPeterMutharikathereforeappealedtodevelopmentpartnersandlocalandinternationaldonorstoassisthisgovernmentinmobilizingresources.Hesaidabout$119millionwasneededfortheemergencyresponse.
AnumberofcountrieshaverespondedtoMutharika’sappeal.Chinaisoneofthem.InJanuary,whenChineseForeignMinisterWangYivisitedMalawi,heannouncedaChinesehumanitarianassistanceof$9.23million.
Toughtimesahead
MalawianswhothoughtthecrisiswouldbeoverbyJune,Malawi’sharvestingperiod,hadmorebadnews.Chiyembekeza’sministryreleasedthefirstroundofthe2015-16AgricultureProductionEstimatesSurveyinFebruary,whichindicatestheharvestwillbelessthanexpected.
Nationalmaizeproductionisprojectedat2.7millionmetrictons,whichis2percentlowerthanthe2014-15finalestimate,theministrysaidinastatement.
EricaMaganga,PrincipalSecretaryinMalawi’sMinistryofAgriculture,toldReutersattheendofFebruarythatthegovernmenthasauthorizedADMARCtoimport30,000tonsofmaizefromZambia,andanexpectedadditional50,000tonsfromTanzania.
Whilethismayhelp,JohnKazembe,aseniorlectureratMalawi’sLilongweUniversityofAgricultureandNaturalResources,saidthegovernmentcouldhavepreventedthecrisissinceitwaspredictable.
“Thishungerwaspredictable,especially[duetothe]factthattheonsetofrainfallwasverylate[thus]creatingashort[maize]growthperiod.Withshort-termplans,thecountrycannotbeprepared[forcrisis],”Kazembesaid.
Healsosaidimportingmaizewasonlyashorttermremedy.Thegovernmentshouldfocusonthelongterm,whichentailsinvestinginagricultureinfrastructuresuchasirrigationfarming.
OntheideaofMalawimovingawayfrommaizetodiversifyitsfoodproduction,Kazembesaid,“Whilestakeholdershavetalkedaboutfooddiversification,itwilltakealongtimetomaterializebecause[food]isculturalandtraditionalinnature.”
TheUnitedStatesAgencyforInternationalDevelopment’sFamineEarlyWarningSystemsNetworkhassaidthatSouthernAfricawouldcontinuetosufferfrompoorrainfallandhotweatherin2016.Thefoodcrisiswouldcontinueto2017.CA
(ReportingfromMalawi)