Funding in response to food crisis.
Two charities will receive £250,000 each from the Scottish
Government’s international development fund to help address a
food crisis in Malawi.
The funds being provided to Scottish Catholic International Aid
Fund (SCIAF) and Christian Aid will be distributed to affected
households to help them buy what they need and support the local
economy.
Around 5.4 million people in the country are unable to meet the
basic food needs of their household, according to the World Food
Programme, due to a combination of erratic rainfall, poor
predicted harvests and extremely difficult economic
conditions.
International Development Minister 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.”
Christian Aid’s Country Director for Malawi, Luke Theu,
said:
“Due to multiple factors, including the weather, food insecurity
is at crisis levels in many parts of Southern Malawi with many
families eating just one meal a day. Let’s not forget that this
is an area still recovering from the devastating impact of
Cyclone Freddy, just over a year ago, which washed away crops and
damaged homes.
“We welcome the funding from the Scottish Government’s
Humanitarian Emergency Fund which will allow us to quickly reach
the immediate food needs of 3,100 households (15,500 people)
prioritising women, children, and people with disabilities
in three communities in Mwanza with cash, so they can spend the
money on food and essentials.
“This grant from the Scottish Government is a continued
commitment of the long-term friendship between Scots and
Malawians which began in 1859.”
SCIAF’s Chief Executive, Lorraine Currie, 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, 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.”
Background
Development assistance
programmes - International development - gov.scot
(www.gov.scot)
