Committee wants food response to cover over 5.7 million people
The Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture has lobbied the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) to increase the number of people targeted during the Lean Season Food Insecurity Programme from 5.7 million as earlier assessed.
But Dodma commissioner Charles Kalemba has said a decision on the matter awaits the release of a second Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Mvac).

Dodma rolled out the response programme in September with the aim of reaching 5.7 million people or about 1.26 million households in all 28 district councils and four cities across the country.
Speaking in an interview, the committee’s vice-chairperson Ulemu Chilapondwa said their position is based on reports from members of Parliament that show the number of people affected by hunger is more than the 5.7 million earlier projected by Mvac and that the situation has been worsened by the rise in maize prices.
“So the stand of the committee is that Dodma should extend to more people in the country to alleviate their suffering,” said Chilapondwa.
Dodma’s target of 5.7 million people was based on Mvac report released in July 2024 after conducting an assessment in May and June.
In an interview on Tuesday, Kalemba said it is likely that the number of people affected by hunger has changed since July.
He further said that Mvac has conducted a second assessment and is expected to release the report.
“If the second Mvac report says we should extend the response to more people, then we will go on the ground to look for more resources,” said Kalemba.
On the status of the hunger response, he said almost all of the targeted 1.26 million households have received at least a bag of maize or cash transfer since the programme rolled out.
The hunger response programme is expected to be concluded in March this year.
Dodma director of disaster preparedness and response the Reverend Moses Chimphepo said on Thursday last week that the department has secured $148 million [K257 billion] for the hunger response.
The response is estimated to cost $197 million [K343 billion] to support all 5.7 million people affected by hunger.