WFP: Eliminating hunger in Malawi (I)

At this moment, 842 million people around the world do not have enough to eat. This means that one in eight people still go to bed hungry. When we look at sub-Saharan Africa alone, the numbers are even worse, with about one in four people suffering from hunger. While these figures are slightly improved from previous years, they are small victories when compared to the global goals to reduce hunger.

The 1996 World Food Summit (WFS) target—to halve the number of hungry people by 2015—and the 2001 first Millennium Development Goal (MDG)—to halve the proportion of hungry people in the total population by 2015—are the two internationally recognised goals for hunger reduction. Given the current levels of hunger, however, reaching the more ambitious WFS target at a global level by 2015 remains unlikely unless greater international efforts are made. To make progress towards these goals, the World Food Programme (WFP) not only responds to meet peoples’ immediate food and nutrition needs in hard times but also invests in capacity-building programmes to empower families and communities to improve their food security for the long term.

Here in Malawi, we have seen remarkable progress towards achieving the hunger target set by the first MDG. Malawi has even been named by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as one of 20 countries to have met the MDG for hunger reduction ahead of the 2015 deadline.

While this progress is commendable, Malawi still faces challenges of food insecurity and poor nutrition. Nearly half of all children in Malawi are stunted, suffering from delays in growth and cognitive development that are oftentimes irreversible. At a household level, six out of every 10 households recently surveyed in 15 districts have poor to borderline food consumption, with 50 percent of children eating food from only one to two food groups. This is much less than the minimum of four food groups recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for adequate diet diversity and nutrition [Emergency Food Security Assessment (EFSA) 2013].

What is more is that when hard times hit poor households, an average of nearly 80 percent begin coping in negative ways (EFSA 2013). For example, most poor households facing food insecurity cope by eating less nutritious food or by reducing the number and portion size of meals. Though families use coping strategies in effort to improve their present condition, the measures taken actually tend to worsen nutritional well-being and hunger in the long term.

With increasing changes in regional climate and erratic weather patterns, eliminating hunger and malnutrition in Malawi remains an even tougher challenge. The effects of these changes have been particularly strong this year, with unpredictable rains and flooding having huge impacts on harvests. According to the Mvac report (July 2013), some 1.46 million people will be in need of food assistance in 21 out of 28 districts countrywide this year.

Given the prevailing food security situation, WFP is working with the Government of Malawi and NGO partners to meet the immediate basic food needs of the most vulnerable households who are facing food shortages. While the majority of beneficiaries will receive food assistance, some will receive cash transfers in areas where there is enough food locally available in the market.

To eliminate hunger, WFP believes it is imperative that all food and nutrition security stakeholders invest in sustainable initiatives to boost and diversify agricultural production.

WFP is also aware of the essential role that women play in ending the cycle of hunger and poverty. Worldwide evidence shows that when women are disadvantaged, so are entire communities. When it comes to ending the cycle of hunger and poverty, studies show that increasing women’s control over financial assets and physical assets not only raises agricultural productivity but it also improves child health and nutrition and increases household spending on education, contributing to overall improved food security and poverty reduction (World Bank 2003; Quisumbing 2003).

In Malawi, however, women are generally disadvantaged across all indicators.

–To be continued on Wednesday.

—The author is United Nations World Food Programme country representative.