Malawi govt raises $63m out of $300m needed for relief maize
President Peter Mutharika has conceded response for relief food has been slow and too little saying the government has only raised US$63 million out of the needed US$300 million.
Mutharika declared Malawi a state of disaster following prolonged drought in the south and prolonged flood causing rains in the north because of El Nino powered in predictable but devastating weather phenomenon.
“We are asking everybody not only the international community to come forward and help us,” said Mutharika when he met northern region based clergy from different churches in Mzuzu.
He said this year food will be down by 50 per cent therefore there was need to raise more money for the purchase of maize.
However, he said no one will die of hunger due to food hunger saying the government will be buying 1.2 million tonnes of maize both on local and international markets.
“Last year I had reports from the ministry of Health, the police and the intelligence. No one died of hunger and I promise no one will die of hunger this year as well,” he said.
At least 8.4 million Malawians, half of Malawi population face starvation due to persistent shortage of food.
Mutharika also took time during the meeting with the clergy to heap special praise on Finance minister Goodall Gondwe for turning around the country’s economy.
”He is not only a great politician but also a great backroom technician. We spent hours on end sometimes overnights finding solutions to the economic problems. The two years were for us to fix the economic problems but now am pleased the economy is back on track,” he said.
Gondwe projects that this year the economy will grow by five percent, down from 3.1 percent last year, a prediction renowned economist Henry Kachaje doubts very much because of the natural calamities.
