MP Lunguzi says 2 die of hunger in Malawi: ‘Pupils starved to death’

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Dedza east MP Juliana Lunguzi  has said two school going children have died of hunger related diseases in her constituency.

Lunguzi said the children, from Lumwira village in traditional authority Kachindamoto’s area in Dedza had gone for days without food because their parents could not access cheap maize from an Admarc market in the area.

“What I am saying is very true. The children have indeed died due to hunger related diseases. Any one disputing this can go to Lumwira village to get detsils. People are dying of hunger, very sad,” said Lunguzi.

Senior chief Kachindamoto could not comment on the specific two deaths but said Admarc should ensure maize is sold to people in her area to avert deaths.

On Thursday she was meeting Admarc officials to chart the way forward so that maize is available to people to avert more deaths.

People called her when Admarc officials were refusing to sell maize yet there were 4172 bags in stock, forcing endless queues of people waiting to buy just a 20kg of maize.

“It is unhumane. It is against human rights principles,” said Lunguzi.

She said the situation was pathetic at the Admarc market in her area as clerks told her they could not sell the maize because their superiors in Salima told them to hold.

“In a desperate situation, I started making panic calls, even to the media, this is when the clerks started selling the maize. The people told me not to leave the place until they all bought fearing if I left, the clerks would stop the sale immediately,” she said. J

Just last week, the government went onslaught with the Daily Times  newspaper and its reporter who reported that a middle aged man had died of hunger in Mzimba.

Government called the newspaper unprofessional, unethical and all descriptive words that would successfully demean and discredit the oldest media group in the country.

President Peter Mutharika says no one will die of hunger.

Malawi is the country worst-affected by food insecurity in southern Africa, where about 2.8 million people need assistance. This situation is due to severe flooding at the beginning of last year followed by prolonged dry spells that have been exacerbated by the global El Nino weather phenomenon.

In addition, more than 23,500 refugees at Dzaleka Refugee Camp, and new asylum seekers who have recently arrived from Mozambique,also require assistance, according to the United Nations World Food Programme and the UN Refugee Agenc.

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