Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
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Malawi is at high risk for climate shocks, and the El Niño weather pattern is projected to bring dry conditions that will aggravate current chronic food insecurity in 22 out of Malawi's 28 districts. In 2023, Malawi experienced its largest cholera outbreak in the past 20 years, with 59,075 cases and 1,769 deaths as of October 2023. At the same time, there are continuing outbreaks of polio and measles, along with COVID-19.
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These nutrition and health conditions are intertwined with a backdrop of increased poverty and recurring economic challenges. All told, approximately 9.4 million people, including 4.8 million children, will require humanitarian assistance in Malawi in 2024.
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In 2024, UNICEF will require $47.4 million to expedite child-centric, disability-inclusive and gender-sensitive humanitarian assistance for the most vulnerable populations, including those in hard-to-reach areas. UNICEF will continue to invest in communities and civil society organizations and support government-led resilience building, preparedness measures and humanitarian response operations.
KEY PLANNED TARGETS
2.7 million children screened for wasting
868,560 children/caregivers accessing community based mental health and psychosocial support
920,448 children accessing formal or non-formal education, including early learning
4.7 million people reached with critical WASH supplies
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION AND NEEDS
According to the seasonal forecast for 2023/24, recently released by the Malawi Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services, moderate to strong El Niño conditions are predicted for a significant portion of the November 2023 to March 2024 rain season in Malawi.
From 1980–2020, 56 per cent of Malawi's population suffered impacts from 39 flood events and 15 epidemics or health emergencies.7
Around 6.5 million people currently require support through disaster risk reduction and livelihoods protection interventions to avoid shifting to a higher acute food insecurity category.
And the El Niño phenomenon will compound this, manifesting in Malawi as poor distribution of rainfall, prolonged dry conditions in most areas and localized flooding in some parts of the country. Around 4.4 million people (22 percent of the population) in the country are predicted to experience crisis (IPC Phase 3 or greater) levels of food insecurity and to require humanitarian assistance in the October 2023 to March 2024 period to sustain their livelihoods and adequate food intake.8 It is anticipated that beyond March 2024, the food security situation will deteriorate further.
Malawi has also been grappling with the worst cholera outbreak in its history, which since its start in March 2022 has caused 1,768 fatalities and 60,000 registered cases (as of 4 October 2023). With sporadic cases still being registered, there are concerns that the outbreak could worsen again when the rainy season commences in November. The country also faces endemic malaria and a re-emergence of such vaccine-preventable diseases as polio, contributing to the need for response programmes that are fit for this polycrisis context. With reduced access to health care, WASH and nutrition services due to damaged health-care facilities and underlying economic challenges, disease outbreaks, especially cholera, could continue into the next rainy season.
In view of the projected El Niño weather pattern and the anticipated poor food security outcomes – coupled with high poverty rates, the existing vulnerabilities especially in the southern areas affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy, and the ongoing economic downturn – UNICEF is anticipating that the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance could rise to 9.4 million in 2024. Urgent action is required to protect livelihoods, reduce the deterioration of the nutrition situation and prevent the resurgence of a widespread cholera outbreak.