Humanitarian aid for hunger crisis in Malawi

SCIAF has welcomed a contribution of £250,000 from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergencies Fund (HEF) to provide small cash grants for people in Malawi affected by the ongoing food crisis. 

More than 4 million people in Malawi are currently facing a serious hunger crisis which is putting lives and livelihoods in serious danger. The national food supply is running extremely low, food prices are skyrocketing, and many families are struggling day by day.  

This crisis has been made worse by climate change, in particular the long-term impacts of Cyclone Freddy which destroyed large areas of agricultural land in March last year.  

Working through its partner CADECOM (Caritas Malawi), SCIAF will reach more than 4,500 households who are struggling to find enough food to eat. 

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.”

Lorraine Currie, SCIAF’s Chief Executive 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, but 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.” 

Crucially, SCIAF will keep working through our partners in Malawi to prevent crises like this in future, and to campaign for a more just global food system which makes sure everyone, everywhere has enough to eat. This project will offer support in the short term. We will keep working in the long-term to end extreme hunger forever.