Vice-President Jane Ansah says the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) faces a budgetary deficit of K81.2 billion to reach out to vulnerable people with food aid in the current lean season.
Government announced over a week ago that the Lean Season Food Insecurity Response programme had a K94 billion shortfall.
But speaking yesterday in Nkhata Bay District while launching maize distribution exercise to 683 beneficiaries in the district, Ansah said the deficit now hovers around K81 billion.
She said: “We have only managed to mobilise K128.2 billion as of now, but we are yet to find the total K209 billion we planned.
“This means that we now have a deficit of K81 billion as we intend to reach out to four million people who are experiencing hunger in this lean season.”
Ansah said government is still banking on its partners to mobilise more resources to cover the deficit.
She said: “We are still making a call to well-wishers within Malawi and outside that they should continue supporting us with money because with have not stopped receiving unless we reach our target.
“We thank the following companies and organisations for their support; the World Bank, United Kingdom, United States Agency for International Development, Germany, Norway, The Netherlands, South Korea, China, World Food Programme, National Bank of Malawi, First Capital Bank, FDH Bank, Press Corporation, Nico Holdings and others.”
The Vice-President, a retired Supreme Court of Appeal justice, also warned beneficiaries against selling the maize, saying it is against the laws of the country.
Yesterday, Ansah also launched the exercise in Kasungu and Mzimba districts.
Speaking at Chiseng’ezi Primary School in Mzimba, Paramount Chief M’mbelwa V urged government to consider distributing fertiliser to farmers in good time to avoid compromising crop productivity.
He said: “We have noted that Mzimba District has benefitted a great part on the Fisp fertiliser but let me take this opportunity to ask government to consider bringing this fertiliser in good time before the rains are gone.
“We also hope that there won’t be a mismatch in bringing this fertiliser. People currently need basic fertiliser and later Urea so make sure this is the arrangement.”
A 2025 Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee report indicated that four million people or 891 000 households are at risk of hunger during the 2025/2026 consumption period, representing 22 percent of the country’s projected population of 18.5 million.
