2005 Malawi food crisis
Encyclopedia
An ongoing severe food security
crisis is affecting more than five million people in Malawi
, especially in the south, caused by the failure to harvest sufficient staple maize
due to a drought
. Malawi produced just 1.25 million tons or 37 % of the 3.4 million tons of maize required to feed its people.
President Bingu wa Mutharika
declared a national disaster
on October 15, 2005 and the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) estimated that there are 46,000 severely malnourished
children.
The harvest season suffered in 2001 and Malawi's government was required to import 150,000 metric tons of food from South Africa
. The government has also failed to properly estimate number of food required to doners. Loss of the labour force due to prevalent diseases such as AIDS
have also put a strain on the food supply. The National Strategic Grain Reserves were sold off on advice of foreign donors to reduce the budget deficits and the reserves almost ran dry with no accountability for any profits made from its sale. Malawi National Food Reserve Agency's Board of Directors fired Henry Gaga, accused of sale of maize on interest free credit to private traders and of not reporting huge debts. In 2003 Paul Chimenya, the financial director and his aide were arrested after obstructing an investigation into the agencies records. A donor funded free seeds and fertilizer program was started in 2003 in an effort to increase production.
called all of the nation a "disaster area" and said the government would spend $50 million dollars to import 330,000 tons of corn from South Africa
, but that the country still needs an additional 158,000 tons to sustain the country until next harvest season.
stated the foreign community was ignoring the crisis. Thereza Banda, Malawi co-ordinator for nutrition, stated that 6,000 children were on the verge of death while 65,000 were malnourished. School attendance also dropped with 500,000 children absent. During the peak of the food crisis in 2002, the government reports 500 people died from starvation.
The World Food Program warned that the number of most vulnerable people was more than five million, and the United Nations
is called for a major increase in aid to the region. In August the United Nations
appealed for US $88 million of donations to Malawi, with only $28 million pledged.
International aid is also needed to help build irrigation
systems. Currently only 2 % of cultivated land is irrigated, and the government is trying to increase irrigation to reduce reliance on rainfall.
UNICEF:Food crisis in Malawi compounded by HIV/AIDS
Food security
Food security refers to the availability of food and one's access to it. A household is considered food-secure when its occupants do not live in hunger or fear of starvation. According to the World Resources Institute, global per capita food production has been increasing substantially for the past...
crisis is affecting more than five million people in Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, especially in the south, caused by the failure to harvest sufficient staple maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
due to a drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
. Malawi produced just 1.25 million tons or 37 % of the 3.4 million tons of maize required to feed its people.
President Bingu wa Mutharika
Bingu wa Mutharika
Bingu wa Mutharika is a Malawi economist who is President of Malawi. He took office on 24 May 2004 after winning a disputed presidential election...
declared a national disaster
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
on October 15, 2005 and the United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
(UNICEF) estimated that there are 46,000 severely malnourished
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess , or in the wrong proportions....
children.
Background and causes
Prior to the food crisis, the international community has been urging the Malawian government to reduce dependency on agriculture. On international advice the government cut the free seeds and fertilizer program. Corn production fell to 1.4 million metric ton from 2.4 between 1998 and 2001 as a result. 2000 also saw corn prices deflated reducing the income of corn farmers and reducing their budget for next harvest seed and fertilizer purchases while maize prices have greatly risen.The harvest season suffered in 2001 and Malawi's government was required to import 150,000 metric tons of food from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The government has also failed to properly estimate number of food required to doners. Loss of the labour force due to prevalent diseases such as AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
have also put a strain on the food supply. The National Strategic Grain Reserves were sold off on advice of foreign donors to reduce the budget deficits and the reserves almost ran dry with no accountability for any profits made from its sale. Malawi National Food Reserve Agency's Board of Directors fired Henry Gaga, accused of sale of maize on interest free credit to private traders and of not reporting huge debts. In 2003 Paul Chimenya, the financial director and his aide were arrested after obstructing an investigation into the agencies records. A donor funded free seeds and fertilizer program was started in 2003 in an effort to increase production.
Government response
In October 2005 Malawi President Bingu wa MutharikaBingu wa Mutharika
Bingu wa Mutharika is a Malawi economist who is President of Malawi. He took office on 24 May 2004 after winning a disputed presidential election...
called all of the nation a "disaster area" and said the government would spend $50 million dollars to import 330,000 tons of corn from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, but that the country still needs an additional 158,000 tons to sustain the country until next harvest season.
Relief efforts and effects
In 2002 United Nations Children's FundUnited Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
stated the foreign community was ignoring the crisis. Thereza Banda, Malawi co-ordinator for nutrition, stated that 6,000 children were on the verge of death while 65,000 were malnourished. School attendance also dropped with 500,000 children absent. During the peak of the food crisis in 2002, the government reports 500 people died from starvation.
The World Food Program warned that the number of most vulnerable people was more than five million, and the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
is called for a major increase in aid to the region. In August the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
appealed for US $88 million of donations to Malawi, with only $28 million pledged.
International aid is also needed to help build irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
systems. Currently only 2 % of cultivated land is irrigated, and the government is trying to increase irrigation to reduce reliance on rainfall.
See also
- 2005-06 Niger food crisis2005-06 Niger food crisisA severe but localized food security crisis occurred in the regions of northern Maradi, Tahoua, Tillabéri, and Zinder of Niger from 2005 to 2006. It was caused by an early end to the 2004 rains, desert locust damage to some pasture lands, high food prices, and chronic poverty. In the affected area,...
- 2006 Horn of Africa food crisis2006 Horn of Africa food crisisIn 2006, an acute shortage of food affected the countries in the Horn of Africa , as well as northeastern Kenya. The United Nations's Food and Agriculture Organization estimated on January 6, 2006, that more than 11 million people in these countries may be affected by an impending widespread...
- 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia
- 2010 Sahel drought
- Sahel droughtSahel drought[[File:Greening Sahel 1982-1999.jpg|thumb|300px|Recent "Greening" of the Sahel: The results of trend analyses of time series over the Sahel region of seasonally integrated NDVI using NOAA AVHRR NDVI-data from 1982 to 1999...