Delayed release of the 2025 Malawi Vu l n e r a b i l i t y Assessment Committee (Mvac) report that assess the number of people requiring support during the lean period has thrown relief response planning in jeopardy, it has emerged.
The report’s delays come after Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) spokesperson Chipi liro Khamula told in an earlier interview that the Mvac report informs their response plan, including the budget.
Asked why the Mvac report is yet to be released, Ministry of Finance spokesperson Williams Banda said completion of the report was “at an advanced stage and will be released soon.” He did not give a timeframe.
Food security stakeholders have warned that without the report, it is difficult to start mobilising resources just when the lean period for food is knocking on the door.
In Malawi, the lean period spans from October when most subsistent farming families run out of their harvests to March when yields mature.
In an interview yesterday, Civil Society Agriculture Network (CisaNet) board chairperson Driana Lwanda said the delay will impact relief planning, including identification of beneficiaries and the nature of aid.
“Procurements will be made under pressure resulting in high cost of items, expiring of items, among other things. This affects the supply chain as well as logistics. It can also result in worsening daily needs due to changes in context among targeted beneficiaries,” she said.
Lwanda suggested that authorities should use existing data from last season when 5.7 million people needed assistance and secondary information, saying these will not change much from the projections already available.
In a separate interview, agriculture economist Steven Kayira urged government to treat the Mvac exercise as an emergency in its own right by producing and releasing credible data on time.
“Government should allocate sufficient resources and streamline processes so that the assessment and report come out early enough to inform budgets, donor commitments and logistics,” he said.
On his part, agriculture extension expert Leonard Chimwaza said in Malawi, disaster preparedness was crucial because it saves lives and property, reduces injuries, and minimizes and economic losses.
He said: “Any delay in releasing the report is against the Disaster Risk Management Act, which gives a clear outline on preparedness, risk reduction, response, and recovery.
“A u t h o r i t i es mu s t immediately release the Mvac report so that stakeholders get informed on the needed response. Stakeholders need to develop disaster management tools, guidelines and systems; hence, quick release is vital.”
On his par t , Cent re for Human Rights and Rehabilitation executive director Michael Kaiyatsa said the longer the delay, the harder it becomes to respond effectively before the lean season reaches its peak.
“Th e s e d e l ay s a r e unacceptable. Food insecurity is not a surprise. We know the lean season comes every year, and we also know that timely data is the foundation of any effective response,” he said.
In 2024, Mvac estimated that 5.7 million people faced hunger and government committed K167.55 billion for support mechanisms, which included maize distribution and social protection programmes for the affected households.
Meanwhile, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FewsNet) last month projected in its Food Security Update that people from 12 districts in the Southern and Central regions will be in critical need of food between September 2025 and January 2026.
