Highlights
The Malawi Vulnerability Annual Assessment (MVAC) of May 2016 projects that 6.5 million people, about 39% of the total population are at risk of food insecurity in 24 out of 28 districts. This is a 129% increase from last year, and the 24 affected districts have food deficits ranging from 3 to 9 months.
MVAC records maize production at about 2.5 million Metric Tons (MT) against a national humanitarian requirement of 3.2 million MT - translating into a deficit of about 700,000 MT.
There is 39.5% and 73.9% increase in Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) admissions respectively from January - July 2015 to January-July 2016 across the affected districts.
Humanitarian Response Plan covering Food Security, Agriculture, Nutrition, Education, Protection, Health; and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene was launched by the President of the Republic of Malawi on 13 July, 2016. The total cost of the response is $395.15 million, out of which the food security cluster accounts for 307.5 million.
Situation Overview
Malawi is experiencing erratic weather conditions leading to a level of food insecurity that is unprecedented over the past decade. The Government of Malawi, through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA), partnered with humanitarian partners to develop a Food Insecurity Response Plan covering Agriculture and Food Security, Nutrition, Health, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Education and Protection. The plan requires a total of $395.15 million, but as a result of underfunding, food distribution that commenced in July and August for 223,358 and 928,049 people respectively, provided half rations.
WFP’s Mobile Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping (MVAM) conducted between 15 and 19 August shows abnormally high maize prices, for example, MK231 and MK300 as the average and highest price per Kg respectively. This is impacting food access for many rural households, particularly in Chikwawa, Nsanje, Mangochi and Phalombe districts, which also have over 80% of their population food insecure.