Malawi's new president urges international aid to help tackle food shortage

Malawi's new president and the UN's World Food Program have decried the country's food shortage, urging the international community to provide much-needed aid.

Addressing the country's parliament on Friday in the capital Lilongwe, Arthur Peter Mutharika said: "We are in a food crisis. That's why a week ago, I declared a state of disaster in 11 districts to let food aid flow in. It's the commitment of my government to ensure that no Malawian dies of hunger. I'm therefore appealing to the international community to help us with food aid so that we can urgently address the situation."

In the address, Mutharika said the country has just procured 200,000 metric tons of its staple, maize, from its neighbor Zambia.

The World Food Program recently signed a joint agreement with Malawi's government to import 48,000 metric tons of maize valued at $35 million, funded by the World Bank, to help food-insecure communities.

Eric Perdison, WFP regional director for Southern Africa, told Anadolu that his organization is focused on making sure that "critical resources reach the people who need them most."

"This collaboration shows the strength of partnerships in tackling the challenges caused by climate-related crises," said Perdison.

Charles Kalemba, the head of Malawi's Department of Disaster and Management Affairs, also told Anadolu: "Poverty has caused unbearable pain to rural communities of the country. The majority of the poor can't afford to buy food due to a rise in costs."

Agriculture is the mainstay of Malawi's economy, but years of back-to-back climate disasters, lost harvest, currency devaluation, and high inflation have exacerbated the country's food insecurity.