Two charities will receive £250,000 each from the Scottish Government’s international development fund to help address a food crisis in Malawi.
The funds being provided to Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) and Christian Aid will be distributed to affected households to help them buy what they need and support the local economy.
Around 5.4 million people in the country are unable to meet the basic food needs of their household, according to the World Food Programme, due to a combination of erratic rainfall, poor predicted harvests and extremely difficult economic conditions.
International Development Minister Kaukab Stewart said:
“These funds will help people buy food and other essentials in a time of great hardship and I’m grateful to Christian Aid, SCIAF and the other aid agencies working in Malawi for all their efforts to support those in need.
“Scotland has historic ties with Malawi and this funding also reflects our commitment to the partnership between our two countries, which supports development in areas such as health, education, renewable energy and access to safe water supplies.”
Christian Aid’s Country Director for Malawi, Luke Theu, said:
“Due to multiple factors, including the weather, food insecurity is at crisis levels in many parts of Southern Malawi with many families eating just one meal a day. Let’s not forget that this is an area still recovering from the devastating impact of Cyclone Freddy, just over a year ago, which washed away crops and damaged homes.
“We welcome the funding from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund which will allow us to quickly reach the immediate food needs of 3,100 households (15,500 people) prioritising women, children, and people with disabilities in three communities in Mwanza with cash, so they can spend the money on food and essentials.
“This grant from the Scottish Government is a continued commitment of the long-term friendship between Scots and Malawians which began in 1859.”
SCIAF’s Chief Executive, Lorraine Currie, said:
“The people of Malawi have been dealt blow after blow in recent years, particularly in southern region which has suffered numerous cyclones, some of which brought winds of over 200 kilometres per hour as well as devastating floods.
“Much of Malawi is rural and these severe weather events not only claim lives and tear apart homes and infrastructure, they also rob people of their ability to grow food to feed their families. This funding from the Scottish Government will supplement the efforts of the country’s own government in feeding those in most need.
“Thanks to this funding provided by Scottish taxpayers, we will do all we can to help families survive this crisis and build a better future.”