Date : Friday, 12 July 2002

1.0 INTRODUCTION

By 27^th February 2002, over 2,266,532 (78%) of the farming families in Malawi had no food. Among other factors, this situation was caused by too much rains that caused leaching and flooding; low uptake of production inputs (fertiliser and seed) by farmers as they are now beyond reach; HIV and Aids pandemic, exportation of 2000 season surplus maize by ADMARC and National Food Reserve Agency to Kenya.

As a result of this crisis, many people especially the underfives, aged, lactating mothers have been severely affected and others have died from what is described as hunger related diseases. This situation prompted the Head of State on 27^th February, 2002 to declare National Food disaster in Malawi and appealed for local and International assistance.

2.0 DEPARTMENT RESPONSE

Following the food crisis situation and the assessment done in December last year, a grant proposal was developed and submitted to our donor partners, the response of which was as stated below in section 2 and 3 of this report, the following have been done to alleviate the situation.

It is indicated that it will take Malawi over 2 years to fully recover from this crisis. A survey done by World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in May 2002 confirms the situation and estimate that over 3.2 million people will require assistance, 207 682 mt of food aid so as to avert a humanitarian crisis. Compounding this situation further, is the fact that in 2002 – 2003 crop season has generally been poor (1 539 000 mt compared to 2 206 mt cereal requirement) Malawi will have a short fall of 600,000mt of maize – the staple food of the country. In the northern region where the department operates second round crop estimates by the Ministry of Agriculture for the 2001 – 2002 growing season, reveal that over 171,000 farming families do not have food now. The situation is likely to get worse as the year progress (see details below).

2.1.1 Donors response: (December – April 2002). We received about a total of US $506,094.00 (MK35,426,580.00) from the donors as follows:

2.1.2 Use of the funding: With this money, we bought, transported and distributed 114mt of Likuni phala, 1126mt of maize which was distributed as below:

Table ii: Maize

Table iii: Maize (Marion Medical Mission) Phase I – one off time

Table iv: Maize (Marion Medical Mission) – Phase II – one off time

Table v: GTZ/EC Donation - 114mt of maize

3.0 CURRENT SITUATION FOR THE SYNOD AREA AND THE PLANS BY THE DEPARTMENT

As stated already in the introduction the crisis is more than likely to continue up to next year May 2003. Within the Synod’s catchment area alone, a total of 392 068 beneficiaries would require 25 688 mt of food aid from June 2002 to March 2003.

4.0 THE DEPARTMENT’S CURRENT PLANS

In preparation for the impending disaster, the government and NGOs have designed strategies to address some immediate, intermediate and long-term food security problems.

In view of the above stated situation the Synod of Livingstonia in particular, Development Department plans to distribute 570 metric tones of maize food, 200 metric tones of Likuni phala as a short-term measure. As a mid-term measure, the department plans to distribute farm inputs – 227 metric tones of groundnuts, 200 metric tones of maize, 40 metric tones of rice and vegetable seed to a total number of 45,000 farming families in the five districts of the North – Rumphi, Karonga, Nkhata-bay, Mzimba and Chitipa (see details in the plan attached).

While the country is going through the disaster situation, we need to quickly build peoples’ capacity to produce enough of their own food supplies. In this respect rather than emphasizing only on temporary relief provision, we want to shift our approach and focus on mid and long term solutions which will prevent people from relying on handouts. Consequently, we strongly believe that if we can provide people with a combination of food supplies with inputs, this will go a long way in achieving long-term goals of food security and self-reliance. Furthermore the department has stepped up its civic education to the masses to ensure the following:-

(1) Take the message of compost making by government and others seriously and make compost manure – fertilizers are expensive and unsustainable.

(2) This year’s yield though too small, keep it safe and reduce quantities cooked – do not waste food anyhow.

(3) Winter Cultivation: take advantage of residual moisture in dambos to grow winter crops maize, vegetables etc. to supplement this year’s migre yields. In line with this, the department has secured 50mt of maize seed for winter – the distribution of which is almost finished.

(4) Grow more than one crop including those that do not require fertilizer and are drought tolerant to ensure availability of adequate food supplies and dietary diversification.

(5) Government should be pressed to do more preparations and take timely action this year to avoid the crisis claiming more people’s lives. Use MPs to take peoples requests to the Parliament.

(6) Continue praying to God for good rains and crops in the 2002 – 2003 growing season.

 

5.0 DONOR/PARTNER RESPONSE SO FAR

Gaps that remain unfunded

6.0 APPEAL

We would like to appeal to all our partner churches and all other people of good will to continue the current support and where possible step it up inorder to prevent the crisis becoming a famine.

6.1 Seed: We submitted a Joint Proposal for seed to DFID like maize seed 108.50mt, groundnut 43.40mt and fertilizer 271.25mt. However, we have not yet received the response.

6.2 Office Equipment:

Lorry: It is very expensive to hire than purchasing our own lorry and use for the programmes e.g. last relief distribution costed us US $70,187.00 while purchasing a new 7 tonne lorry costs US$45,398 and a 10 tonne lorry costs US $77,334 of which can be more cost effective to the department to use it.

Computer and Staff: This will enable us for quick reporting and submission to our partners and donors. Staff to improve the capacity for Relief Programme implementation.

We would like to thank most sincerely all those organisation listed and not listed above which have extended their assistance to this cause. May God bless them all.