Food security outlook has improved

Malawi's food emergency seems to have run its course and any vulnerability at household level in the months ahead would be the result of developmental problems, rather than drought-induced crop failures, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). Malawi is one of six countries in southern Africa affected by food shortages, brought on mainly by drought and the impact of HIV/AIDS. Aid agencies had estimated that 3.6 million Malawians were in need of food aid to survive. However, in its latest report FEWS NET said "at the national level the food security outlook is much better than last year". "Reports from the field, especially where harvesting has started, show that the food security situation at household level has improved greatly as households start consuming food from the recent harvest." However, FEWS NET warned that "this improved household food security situation may be short-lived as the harvest is not expected to last long" and there were still "pockets throughout the country where households will be food-insecure as a result of prolonged dry spells that resulted in [crop] yield reduction". There was a need for detailed analysis at the provincial level "to ascertain the magnitude of the potential problem". "Overall though, the situation is much better than at the same time last year. The bottom line is that wide-scale food aid will not be required, since the main problem facing the country now is chronic food insecurity as a result of the low rural incomes, declining productivity and deepening poverty." This was more of a developmental problem than a drought-induced humanitarian emergency, FEWS NET noted. Food aid distributions would continue until May/June to prevent households from early consumption of the current crop, which would compromise their future food security, the report added.