Minister of Labour, Skills and Innovation Joel Chigona says government is committed to supporting food-insecure households through various ways, including cash transfers.
He said this on Friday in Salima when he presided over the disbursement of money to food-insecure families. The money was provided by KFW Development Bank from Germany.
Said Chigona: “Malawi is facing significant food insecurity, with over four million people at risk of hunger due to prolonged dry spells, rising food prices and recurring climatic shocks.
“As a result, this response is reaching 121 896 households in Salima, Mchinji, Machinga, Mangochi and Likoma. At least 70 742 households already enrolled in Social Cash Transfer Programme are getting support through vertical expansion while an additional 51 154 households are supported through horizontal expansion.”
He said in Salima District alone, 38 787 households are receiving assistance and each household is receiving a once-off cash transfer of K90 000.
KFW Social Cash Transfer Programme Private Sector and Natural Resources portfolio coordinator Hendrine Kachule Makolosi said the support is a response to President Peter Mutharika’s declaration of State of Disaster in October last year.
She said: “By supporting these households, we are not only addressing immediate food needs, but we are helping preserve the human capital and household resilience that Malawi will need to recover and grow.
“Through this current crisis support, we are directly reaching 609 000 people with support of 5.6 million euro [K11.8 billion].”
One of the beneficiaries, Rashid Umali thanked the bank for the money, saying he will use it to buy maize
