Fragile recovery necessitates ongoing food aid

Officials in Malawi on Wednesday said although this year's bumper harvest would alleviate food shortages in the country, widespread poverty would still make it difficult for the majority of people to access maize.

The country has this year reportedly harvested 1.9 million mt of maize, the national staple crop.

"We would have preferred to have reached 2 million mt, but with what we have harvested it should be enough to meet the needs of the local population for the coming year," Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness Relief and Rehabilitation Lucius Chikuni told IRIN.

Chikuni noted that despite the successful harvest, some 67,000 people across the country would still need food assistance.

"Those who are still in need mainly fall into the most vulnerable category such as the chronically ill, the aged, and those children orphaned by AIDS. The other groups in need will now be able to access the maize through food-for-work programmes initiated by the government," he said.

But the World Food Programme has warned that the recovery is extremely fragile.

"It is important to now put in place strategies which would sustain food security. Most Malawians survive on very little a day, which means that even if there is sufficient food in the country they do not have the means to purchase it," explained Amy Horton said.

Last year erratic weather devastated crops and caused widespread food shortages, leaving some 3.3 million people estimated to be in need of food aid until June 2003.