184 updates found

17 Nov 2008

Malawi
Malawi: Planning for a disaster

Report

— IRIN

LILONGWE, 17 November 2008 (IRIN) - The state of preparedness for a natural disaster in Malawi's flood-prone areas as well as other locales is coming under intense scrutiny ahead of the expected annual rise in the rivers during the rainy season.

The seven areas usually affected by flooding are the districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje, along the lower Shire River, the southern district of Mangochi, the central districts of Salima and Dedza and the northern districts of Karonga and Mzimba.

But the dangers of flash flooding in

IRIN:

A selection of IRIN reports are posted on ReliefWeb. Find more IRIN news and analysis at http://www.irinnews.org

Une sélection d'articles d'IRIN sont publiés sur ReliefWeb. Trouvez d'autres articles et analyses d'IRIN sur http://www.irinnews.org

This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. Refer to the IRIN copyright page for conditions of use.

Cet article ne reflète pas nécessairement les vues des Nations Unies. Voir IRIN droits d'auteur pour les conditions d'utilisation.

02 May 2002

Malawi + 2 others
Southern Africa: Food insecurity appeal No. 12/02

Report

— IFRC

THIS APPEAL SEEKS CHF 6,803,000 (USD 4,239,387 or EUR 4,681,316) IN CASH, KIND AND SERVICES TO ASSIST 450,000 BENEFICIARIES FOR 12 MONTHS
The Situation

Southern Africa is facing a looming crisis. Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, in particular, have large national food deficits as a result of two years of poor harvests due to erratic rainfall and a range of economic factors. On top of this, the maize harvest for this year is likely to be poor in all three countries and stocks of maize grain, the staple diet, are liable to become scarce very quickly. Food shortages

30 Mar 2002

Malawi
Malawi food crisis plan to cost 150 mn dollars: vice president

Report

— Agence France-Presse

BLANTYRE, March 30 (AFP) - Malawi wants to spend 6.8 billion kwacha (150 million dollars) to combat its devastating hunger crisis, a statement from Vice President Justin Malewezi's office said Saturday.

The statement, issued after Malewezi held discussions with donors in the administrative capital Lilongwe this week, said half the amount would address medium-term food security issues.

Assistance to flood victims and cholera control will each cost five million dollars, the statement added, without saying how the programs would be funded.

The food crisis began in part last year,

Agence France-Presse:

©AFP: The information provided in this product is for personal use only. None of it may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the express permission of Agence France-Presse.

28 Mar 2002

Zambia + 2 others
Southern African Regional Rainfall Outlook (Apr - Jun 2002)

Report

— SADC Drought Monitoring Center

HIGHLIGHTS

Significantly below-normal rainfall affected most of Botswana and western Zimbabwe from the month of December to February.

Rain continues in the northeastern sector.

Normal to above normal rainfall is expected for northern sector and Island States.

Central parts of the subregion expects normal to below normal as the rainy season terminates.

SUMMARY OF DECEMBER 2001 - FEBRUARY 2002 RAINFALL PERFORMANCE

21 Mar 2002

Malawi
Malawi: Widespread hunger in the country - ACT members distribute food

Report

— Action by Churches Together International

More than 300 people have starved to death in Malawi's central and northern regions because of a famine that has been described as the worst in the last 50 years, according to reports from the country. Action by Churches Together (ACT) has issued an appeal for more than one million US Dollars to help the most affected people.
Alarming reports are coming from the region saying that more than four million people in three countries - Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe - are currently threatened by severe food shortages due to a drought. Worst hit by the crisis is Malawi where the problems

19 Mar 2002

Malawi
FEWS Malawi Food Security Report mid-Feb 2002 to mid-Mar 2002

Report

— US Agency for International Development

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Summary

Most parts of the country have experienced a dry spell for the past 2-3 weeks, threatening crop production prospects for the season.

Widespread consumption and theft of green maize due to the current maize shortage may adversely affect the final harvest outcome and compromise food security for the 2002/2003 consumption period.

The Government has declared the current food security situation a "disaster" and has appealed for assistance from various sources, including the donor community.

The National Food Reserve Agency received

09 Mar 2002

Malawi
FEWS Malawi Food Security Report mid-Jan 2002 to mid-Feb 2002

Report

— US Agency for International Development

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Summary

Most parts of the country received normal rainfall by the end of January. The rains have generally been well distributed throughout the season and, as a result, most crops are expected to do better than last year.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation released the first round crop production estimates on February 6, 2002. The figures show that all crops will register an increase in production with the exception of chilies. Maize production is expected to register a 16% increase this year.

The projected maize production level

01 Mar 2002

Afghanistan + 18 others
WFP Emergency Report No. 09 of 2002

Report

— World Food Programme

This report includes:
(A) Eastern and Southern Africa Region: (1) Regional overview, (2) Zimbabwe

(B) Central Africa Region: (1) Angola, (2) Democratic Republic of Congo

(C) West Africa Region: (1) Regional overview, (2) Liberia, (3) Sierra Leone

(D) Latin America and Caribbean Region: (1) Colombia, (2) Bolivia, (3) Guatemala

(E) Asia Region: (1) Sri Lanka

(F) West and Central Asia region: (1) Regional overview, (2) Afghanistan, (3) Pakistan, (3) Tajikistan

(G) Eastern Europe Region: (1) Georgia

From Francesco Strippoli, Director of

28 Feb 2002

Afghanistan + 33 others
FAO/GIEWS Food Outlook No. 1, 2002

Report

— Food and Agriculture Organization

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Rome, February 2002, No. 1
Highlight

Global cereal output in 2001 is provisionally estimated at 1 880 million tonnes (including rice in milled terms), slightly up from the forecast in December and 1.2 percent up on the previous year. However, with global cereal utilization in 2001/02 still forecast to be well above this level at 1 935 million tonnes, the global cereal stocks will be drawn down significantly.

While overall food supply prospects for 2002 are more favourable than in the past two years, millions of people in developing countries still need emergency food assistance due

27 Feb 2002

Malawi
Malawi seeks 21 million dollars to avert worst food crisis

Report

— Agence France-Presse

BLANTYRE, Feb 27 (AFP) - Malawi has launched an international appeal for 21.6 million dollars to buy the staple food maize, to avert the country's worst ever food crisis, the government said Wednesday.

Food shortages had "reached crisis proportions, with about 70 percent of the 11 million population hit by food shortages and are going hungry," Vice President Justin Malewezi said in the appeal statement.

The government "is seeking immediate assistance in procurement, transportation and logistic capacity to avert the worst of the crisis", he said.

Agence France-Presse:

©AFP: The information provided in this product is for personal use only. None of it may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the express permission of Agence France-Presse.

26 Feb 2002

Ethiopia + 6 others
WFP: Hunger persists across Eastern and Southern Africa

Report

— World Food Programme

Kampala, Feb 26, 2002 -- Catherine Bertini, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, today warned that severe food shortages now sweeping through southern Africa will worsen the level of hunger and chronic poverty felt by millions of people in Africa.
"Many countries in southern Africa, which were once major food producers, are being gripped by the same stranglehold of natural disasters and chronic poverty as their neighbours in eastern Africa," said Bertini.

"Widespread cereal shortages are

19 Feb 2002

Angola + 3 others
FAO/GIEWS Special Alert No. 320: Nearly 4 million people in southern Africa face severe food shortages

Report

— Food and Agriculture Organization

(Circulated only for countries where foodcrops or supply situation conditions give rise to concern)

15 Feb 2002

Malawi
Malawi: Malnutrition deepens

Report

— IRIN

BLANTYRE, 15 February (IRIN) - Malnutrition is making it difficult for Malawi's doctors to successfully treat patients, IRIN has learnt.
The director of one of Malawi's main hospitals told IRIN that many discharged patients are being re-admitted after suffering a relapse, of whatever illness, because they have no food at home.

Meanwhile, desperate Malawians are adding to the country's food shortage woes. Many have resorted to eating green maize in fields, thereby depleting the country's crops before harvest time.

Malawi is among the world's 10 poorest

IRIN:

A selection of IRIN reports are posted on ReliefWeb. Find more IRIN news and analysis at http://www.irinnews.org

Une sélection d'articles d'IRIN sont publiés sur ReliefWeb. Trouvez d'autres articles et analyses d'IRIN sur http://www.irinnews.org

This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. Refer to the IRIN copyright page for conditions of use.

Cet article ne reflète pas nécessairement les vues des Nations Unies. Voir IRIN droits d'auteur pour les conditions d'utilisation.

14 Feb 2002

Malawi
Malawi expects record maize yield in 2002, despite famine

Report

— Agence France-Presse

BLANTYRE, Feb 14 (AFP) - Malawi, currently suffering from serious food shortages, expects a record yield of the staple maize from this year's harvest due from April.

Ellard Malindi, secretary for agriculture, said in a flood-and-food situation report released Thursday that maize production is projected to rise by 16 percent, to 1.98 million tons against last year's 1.71 million tons.

Malawi's national annual requirement is 1.8 million tons. "The projected maize output is only enough to take the country through to 2003," adding there will be need to re-stock

Agence France-Presse:

©AFP: The information provided in this product is for personal use only. None of it may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the express permission of Agence France-Presse.

13 Feb 2002

Malawi
Malawi seeks international food aid to avert famine

Report

— Agence France-Presse

BLANTYRE, Feb 13 (AFP) - Malawi, blaming transport bottlenecks for delayed imports of 180,000 tons of the staple maize, appealed Wednesday for international food aid to avert famine.

Ellard Malindi, principal secretary for agriculture told AFP that 2.3 million farming families, or 76 percent of Malawians, "do not have their own food", compared with 31 percent registered last year.

On Tuesday, Malawi's Vice President Justin Malewezi appealed for food aid to prevent what he called the "worse calamity".

"It is important that action be

Agence France-Presse:

©AFP: The information provided in this product is for personal use only. None of it may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the express permission of Agence France-Presse.

07 Feb 2002

Malawi
UNICEF Malawi situation report floods and food shortage 7 Feb 2002

Report

— UN Children's Fund

Situation Update
Continuous rains in the last two months in Malawi have resulted in serious flooding in 10 of the 27 districts in the country. The flooding has further compounded the food shortage experienced in 2001 when similar floods affected 14 districts.

Officials of the Department for Disaster Preparedness, Relief and Rehabilitation indicate that over 12,150 households have already been affected by the current flood, while an estimated 43,500 children under-five are now at risk of serious malnutrition, due to the

06 Feb 2002

Malawi + 2 others
Africa's coming hunger

Report

— Christian Science Monitor

By Robert I. Rotberg

ZOMBA, MALAWI - Hunger is again stalking Southern Africa. Throughout the length of the already-impoverished nation of Malawi, there is no maize, the staple food. Cassava, a substitute stomach filler, is also hard to find. So are yams. Moreover, no one seems to be doing anything to avert the coming starvation. Officials deny the seriousness of the situation.

Here, on the rainy slopes of towering Mt. Zomba in Malawi, I purchased small white potatoes and could have bought dead and live animals that were dangled from outstretched arms, a scattering

05 Feb 2002

Angola + 11 others
FEWS Southern Africa Food Security Update: 05 Feb 2002

Report

— US Agency for International Development

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Some Countries are having Difficulties Filling Cereal Gap
The graph below shows that the region is now facing one of the largest regional maize production gaps in recent years (the difference between production and consumption requirements). When stocks are added to last season's production, consumption requirements can almost be met from within the region. However, the physical availability of maize within the region is not enough to ensure that trade and marketing systems will move the maize from surplus to deficit countries. Regional

28 Jan 2002

Malawi
Malawi: WFP acts to reduce child hunger

Report

— IRIN

JOHANNESBURG, 28 January (IRIN) - The World Food Programme (WFP) in Malawi has pre-positioned rations at all 84 nutrition rehabilitation units (NRU) it supports at hospitals and clinics across the country to minimise the effect of this year's severe food shortages on children under five years old.
The UN food agency's Ayoub al-Jaloudi told IRIN that WFP usually expected an increase in admissions at the NRUs during the "lean season", which runs from December up until around harvest time in March. "Every year the number of admissions increases

IRIN:

A selection of IRIN reports are posted on ReliefWeb. Find more IRIN news and analysis at http://www.irinnews.org

Une sélection d'articles d'IRIN sont publiés sur ReliefWeb. Trouvez d'autres articles et analyses d'IRIN sur http://www.irinnews.org

This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. Refer to the IRIN copyright page for conditions of use.

Cet article ne reflète pas nécessairement les vues des Nations Unies. Voir IRIN droits d'auteur pour les conditions d'utilisation.

25 Jan 2002

Malawi + 3 others
FEWS Southern Africa Regional Flood Watch 25 Jan 2002

Report

— US Agency for International Development

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HEAVY RAINS RAISE CONCERN IN SOUTHERN MALAWI

At the end of December 2001, heavy rains, favorable for crop production, fell over much of Malawi causing flash floods in Koronga, Salima and Chikwawa districts. Following a rapid assessment of flood-affected areas in southern Chikwawa district, WFP reported the situation as not alarming, and that about 1,750 households were affected in 13 villages. Heavy rains continued at the beginning of January in central and northern parts of the country, moving south by the second dekad of the month. The heavy rains were due to a deep low pressure

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