425 families get relief maize in Mangochi
M
angochi District Council has distributed bags of maize to 425 households affected by hunger in group village heads (GVHs)Issa Mponda and Mitanga in Traditional Authority Mponda in the district.
Speaking after the exercise, the council’s district risk management officer Maria Joseph said the distribution was in response to reports that people were eating tubers due to food scarcity.
She said the council conducted an assessment in the district and requested assistance from the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma), which promptly provided the relief maize.
“Following our assessment, we reported the matter to Dodma for urgent assistance of food who responded swiftly,” said Joseph.
She commended Dodma for their swift response.
One of the beneficiaries, Chrissy Ojesi, 59, thanked Dodma for the relief maize, saying due to dry spells, her family failed to harvest enough maize.
“I am happy that I have received this maize because I had no food. This maize will assist me and my six children who were sleeping on an empty stomach,” she said.
Another community member Wyson Matebule, 48, from GVH Mitanga said with schools opening on Monday for the 2024/25 academic year, he was concerned about providing food for his eight children when they return from school.
“The relief maize has come at the right time such that I am relieved to have food for my school-going children,” he said.
Each year, government through Dodma distributes relief maize to vulnerable households affected by hunger.
Meanwhile, the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee Report indicates that the number of people in need of food assistance in the country has increased from 4.2 million to 5.7 million during the lean period from October this year.
