Senior Chief Kalolo of Lilongwe District has asked Vice-President Michael Usi to facilitate a quick response to the hunger situation in his area.
The chief said this on Friday during a political rally the Veep conducted at Chileka Community Day Secondary School in the district.
Kalolo told Usi that due to poor harvest in the 2023/24 growing season as a result of prolonged dry spells, many families are in need of food.
He said: “Many people are starving and in urgent need of food. Government needs to speed up to avert hunger-related deaths. The harvest was bad and that has resulted in hunger in my area.
“The people you are seeing here are struggling to access food. The problem has been aggravated by the failure to open some Admarc [Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation] markets in my area.”
In a separate interview, Alinafe Mdala, a mother of three, said the hunger situation was worse.
She said: “The situation is dire as we can hardly afford a meal. Even if you have money, there is nothing at Admarc market. It means one has to buy from vendors, which is expensive.
“It is good the Vice-President is here to see the situation for himself.”
In his response, Usi acknowledged that the hunger situation is serious in the country, but assured the people that government is working on finding lasting solutions.
“It is true the country is facing hunger and President Lazarus Chakwera is aware. He is working to alleviate these problems.
“The hunger we are facing is perennial. But I can assure you this government is committed to finding lasting solutions to ensure the next generation is free from hunger.”
