Maize, rice, and cassava are the most important food commodities. Markets selected represent the entire geographic length of the country: two markets in each of the north, center, and south. In the north, Karonga is one of the most active markets in maize and rice and is influenced by informal cross-border trade with Tanzania. Mzimba is a major maize producing area in the northern region. Salima, in the center along the lake, is an important market where some of the fishing populations are almost entirely dependent on the market for staple cereals.

Period covered by this Ops Update: 28 November 2012 to 30 May 2013. This update represents a sixmonth summary of the operation.
Appeal target (current): CHF 1,025,311 Appeal coverage: 61% Appeal history:

• This Emergency Appeal was initially launched on 17 October 2012 for CHF 1,025,310 for 9 months to assist 3,500 households (17,500 beneficiaries).

Maize, rice, and cassava are the most important food commodities. Markets selected represent the entire geographic length of the country: two markets in each of the north, center, and south. In the north, Karonga is one of the most active markets in maize and rice and is influenced by informal cross-border trade with Tanzania. Mzimba is a major maize producing area in the northern region. Salima, in the center along the lake, is an important market where some of the fishing populations are almost entirely dependent on the market for staple cereals.

More than a decade ago, Patrick Young founded “Theatre for a Change”, a non-governmental organization that uses participatory theatre techniques to empower women and men to effect change and demand their sexual and reproductive rights.

Here, he talks to Amnesty International about the beginnings of his original workshops, training police officers and why human rights education holds the key to improving the lives of the most marginalized.

What is Theatre for a Change all about?

Food prices remain high as farmers harvest their crops

• As the rainfall season comes to a close, most households in the country are in the process of harvesting their crops. While overall staple maize prices have reduced slightly since March, as expected during harvest time, current prices are still more than double last year’s levels.

KEY MESSAGES

• As the agricultural season drawsto a close, above normal rains in April in the southern parts of the region could improve pasture conditions. However, they are unlikely to mitigate the impact of earlier periods of extended dryness on crop production. Additionally, recent wet conditions, along with possibility of continued rains, may cause cob-rot among crops drying in the field.

Lameck Masina

May 25, 2013

CHIKHWAWA DISTRICT, MALAWI — A few years ago, residents of Malawi's southern district of Chikhwawa were often stricken with diarrhea often caused by cholera, an illness spread by unclean drinking water from unprotected sources like wells and rivers. Today, the situation is under control, thanks to an international NGO that's drilling boreholes in the area for fresh drinking water and building latrines for family use.

UNICEF correspondent Leonie Marinovich reports on a new treatment for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Malawi.

By Leonie Marinovich

With a new treatment strategy for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in place, there is hope that the next generation of children in Malawi may be born free of the scourge of HIV/AIDS.

Period covered by this update: 7 February to 3 May 2013.

Summary: CHF 326,090 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 7 February 2013 to support the National Society in delivering assistance to some 16,370 beneficiaries (3,274 households) affected by floods.

With this operations update, a second allocation of CHF 4,603 from the DREF will be made to support a review of the intervention, making the total allocation from the DREF to the operation CHF 330,694.