Charities share £500,000 to tackle food insecurity in Malawi

Two charities will receive a total of £500,000 to support work in Malawi, the Scottish Government has announced.

The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (Sciaf) and Christian Aid will be given £250,000 each to tackle food insecurity in the country.

The World Food Programme has said 5.4 million of the near-20 million people in the country are “chronically food insecure” due to climate change-related and economic issues.

Kaukab Stewart, the Scottish Government’s international development minister, 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.”

Luke Theu, Christian Aid’s country director for Malawi, said “many families” in southern Malawi are surviving on just one meal a day in a region still recovering from the devastation of Cyclone Freddy last year, which killed more than 1,200 people.

He added: “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 chief executive Lorraine Currie said: “The people of Malawi have been dealt blow after blow in recent years, particularly in the southern region which has suffered numerous cyclones, some of which brought winds of over 200 kilometres per hour (125mph) 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.”