The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) on Tuesday (18th July, 2020) introduced the distribution of maize flour to food insecure households under the 2019/20 Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme (2019/20 LS-FIRP).

All along, under the 2019/20 LS-FIRP, the department and various human partners, have been distributing relief maize in 21 districts and implementing cash transfers (for beneficiaries to purchase food) in six districts of the country.

“We have introduced the distribution of maize flour under the Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme and the commodity will be distributed in all the 21 districts that have been receiving maize. So, the department will be distributing both maize and maize flour in the said districts,” said Secretary to the Vice President and Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs, Wilson Moleni, when he introduced the maize flour distribution exercise and briefed a gathering at Sanga Primary School Ground in Nkhata Bay District.

Moleni said the introduction of the maize flour distribution under the 2019/20 LS-FIRP is in line with government’s commitment in addressing the food needs of the 1.8 million food insecure population.

He then called upon beneficiary households to properly utilize the maize flour that they will receive under the programme.

“I would also like to request all stakeholders involved in the response programme, including NGOs and district council officials to continue to exercise transparency, accountability, neutrality and impartiality in the implementation of the programme. I expect the programme to fully involve community participation and civil protection committees at local levels in the targeted districts in all the processes to ensure transparency,” said Moleni.

The Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee’s recent report indicated that 1,879,000 will be food insecure and will require immediate provision of relief aid during the 2019/20 lean season, which runs from October 2019, to March 2020.