By Kondwani Magombo

Lilongwe, June 24, Mana: Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), has appealed for more humanitarian efforts to support over 5.7 million Malawians who are food insecure due to adverse weather conditions across the country.

Commissioner for DoDMA, Reverend Moses Chimphepo made the appeal on Tuesday at the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) in Kanengo, Lilongwe, as the Chinese government officially handed over 1,830 Metric Tons of rice to Malawi Government in response to President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera’s earlier appeal for humanitarian support.

Chimphepo thanked the Chinese Government for a ‘timely’ response, noting that this was not the first time that China had supported Malawi with humanitarian aid in time of need.

“Overall, the Chinese rice donation would cover over 36,600 households (164,700 people) through a once-off distribution,” said Chimphepo, adding: “This donation has been made at the right time when people needed life-saving support in terms of food requirements.”

He further appealed for more humanitarian support as the country continues to experience the increasing impacts of climate change.

“…It is imperative for Malawi to transition away from reliance on rain-fed agriculture to ensure long-term food security,” said Chimphepo.

“I, therefore, urge the Government of the People’s Republic of China and all development partners to continue supporting affected households by implementing resilience-building interventions such as irrigation farming.

“This approach will cushion communities against climatic shocks and reduce the substantial resources currently allocated to emergency food relief,” he added.

Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, Lu Xu said the donation fulfils Chinese President Xi Jingping’s announcement during China-Africa Leaders Dialogue in Johannesburg, South Africa that his government will provide emergency food assistance to African countries in need, including Malawi.

Lu pledged her government’s continued support to Malawi Government, saying solidarity matters more than ever at a time of rising global uncertainties and intertwined crises.

“China stands ready to continue providing assistance within its capacity and align its cooperation with Malawi’s development priorities, advancing both major flagship programmes and “small but good” livelihood initiatives across key sectors such as agriculture, health and infrastructure,” she said.

The Chinese rice donation came in three shipments, starting November 2024 and the Government of Malawi through DoDMA started distributing the rice to food-insecure households in Lilongwe District under the 2024/2025 Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme, according to DoDMA.

Both the second and third consignments were earmarked for distribution in Lilongwe City.