US donates additional food commodities to starving Malawians
United States Ambassador to Malawi, Virginia Palmer has announced an additional donation of US$27 million (20 billion kwacha) of food assistance from the US Government to support vulnerable, food insecure communities in Malawi.
In a media statement emailed to Nyasa Times from the US Embassy to Malawi, Palmer announced the donation following the discussions she had with President Professor Peter Mutharika.
The statement reads that this has brought the United States’ total contribution to the humanitarian response to US$55 million (MK41 billion), 44 percent of the total US$123.6 million (MK92.7 billion) needed to provide a monthly food or cash ration to the 2.8 million Malawians in need of humanitarian assistance between October 2015 and April 2016.
It reads that as with its previous donations, the US has channeled its latest contribution through United Nations World Food Program (WFP).
The donation comprises of Sorghum (US$16 million), Transportation for 18,000 metric tons of maize provided for the Government of Malawi’s Strategic Grain Reserve (US$4.9 million), maize (US$4 million), beans (US$900,000) and a special corn-soya blend for babies and pregnant women (US$200,000).
“The support will fill some immediate needs while also supporting preparations for the next humanitarian response. The maize, beans and corn-soya blend will be purchased from within Malawi or the Southern African region,” reads the statement.
The US$27 million donation also includes a US$900,000 contribution to WFP to meet the emergency food needs of refugees currently in Malawi, including recent Mozambican refugee arrivals.
“This contribution underscores the United States’ dedication to assisting the people of Malawi as they generously host their neighbors during times of need,” said Palmer.
According to the statement, since 2012, the United States has provided over US$94.6 million (MK71 billion) of food assistance to Malawi.
In additional, through President Obama’s Feed The Future and Global Climate Change Initiatives, the U.S Agency for International Development is supporting activities valued at approximately US$25 million (MK18.8 billion) annually to reduce food insecurity, poverty and under-nutrition by increasing agricultural production and helping communities adapt to climate change.
Palmer stressed that; “it is important that the Government of Malawi have a long-term resilience plan to tackle agriculture shortfalls holistically through crops diversification, sustainable environmental management, irrigation, and policy reforms to reduce market distortions and expand production.”
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So u wise pple so to say,have recieved this good gesture from the very good samaritans you intelligentlly call them coup planners,what ashame
Thank you USA and Ambassador Palmer for coming on board to help our languishing people. My request is that, don’t give this money to this clueless government of Peter and Dausi; otherwise, it will go to its machinery, Cadets, pocket and destroy the poor more. Please channel the support directly to the needy.
Thank you USA for your kind contributions in food at a very critical moment and at the same time,bear in mind that the present government of Peter Muthalika is inhuman and corrupt.We therefore request you use your economic and political levalage to coerce Muthalika and adheres to democratic decorum.As of now,people are pesmistically feeling that the maize won’t reach the most needy ones.America,as the powerful nation on earth,we vehemently request you to reign on Muthalika and his tribesmen to follow democratic tenets which in turns,could bring civilized governments.
The country is in financial and hunger crises due to poor leadership and corruption. As a country our priorities are upside down. Where are the tractors that we got on loan from India and K131million kwacha Government got from India as a loan meant for Greenbelt Intiative? The situation we are in its our own making.
Its very unfortunate that our Police and the ACB are used to silence and victimised perceived enemies of state…by the way at which stage are you with the K577 billion kwacha probe?
Thank you, USA. Shame on those shenanigans who through their dubious intel claimed that the US ambassador was involved in a plot to oust the DPP government!
Fortunately the US ambassador does not subscribe to the myopia that we call our politics in this poorest country on earth! Otherwise , she would have been very mad and not help our starving poor people to punish this Machievellian regime! Does it make sense that the worlds richest country would want to destabilize the worlds poorest country? Only to an Ex MYP guru nd his boys! Shame!!!!!!