Malawi Seeks Aid for Food Shortages
President Peter Mutharika has informed the United Nations that 6.5 million of his people will this year require food assistance.
Before the General Assembly debate in New York on Tuesday, President Mutharika said Malawi was seeking external support from cooperating partners and multilateral institutions within and outside the UN system to the tune of US $246 million to deal with food shortage. He said Malawi had in the last two years suffered effects of climate change.
“In 2015, we experienced the worst forms of floods which affected over half of the country. In 2016 the opposite happened and drought scorched half of the country again. This problem has brought us hunger as we could not produce enough food for two consecutive years,” President Mutharika said. “As I stand here, 6.5 million people will this year require food assistance. My Government is doing all it can to provide for these people…We still need US $246 million for this cause. When we speak of addressing the climate change problem, let us remember that there are real souls suffering the effects out there. We, as a country will do our duty to humanity. We will sign the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, here at the UN Headquarters and commit my Government towards ratification and domestication of this crucial agreement.”

Lars Plougmann