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Malawi

Malawi Annual Country Report 2023 - Country Strategic Plan 2019 - 2023

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Overview

Key messages

• In 2023, amid a 131 percent increase in acute food insecurity, WFP provided food assistance to 2.5 million people.

• WFP provided USD 28 million in cash-based transfers, distributed 15,000 mt of food, and enhanced resilience through activities such as reforestation and water point restoration.

• WFP collaborated with the Government to strengthen Malawi's emergency preparedness.

• As co-lead of the national logistics cluster, WFP provided emergency logistics services in response to the cholera and Tropical Cyclone Freddy emergencies, transporting 700 mt of crucial supplies to isolated areas by air.

Malawian poly-crisis: WFP scales up operations

Malawi faced significant challenges in food and nutrition security in 2023, exacerbated by several factors. High and persistent inflation made it difficult for households to access affordable, nutritious food. Tropical Cyclone Freddy in March 2023 worsened the situation, leading to floods and mudslides that destroyed crops and livestock, disrupting agricultural activities. The spread of cholera further added to the country's challenges.

During the 2022/23 lean season (November 2022-March 2023), 3.8 million people in Malawi were acutely food insecure, marking a 131 percent increase from the previous lean season [1].

WFP continued supporting the Malawian Government and other partners in addressing the food and nutrition crisis, and advancing Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). This effort aligns with Malawi's national priorities as outlined in the Malawi Vision 2063 and its supporting policies.

In 2023, WFP provided food assistance to 2.5 million people (51 percent women), among them were 51,000 people with disabilities [2]. Of the people assisted, 64 percent were under 18. WFP transferred USD 28 million in cash-based transfers to 1.6 million vulnerable individuals, providing resources for immediate food needs. Besides cash transfers,
WFP also implemented in-kind interventions, reaching 680,000 people with food items to address immediate nutritional needs. WFP distributed 15,000 mt of food. WFP also provided capacity-strengthening activities to 270,000 people to enhance their skills and resilience against food insecurity.

During the 2022/23 lean season response, WFP provided monthly food and cash-based transfers to 543,000 people.
Additionally, 709,000 individuals in the four districts most affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy received cash and in-kind assistance. The lean season and Cyclone Freddy response underscored the critical role that support for the country's social protection system played.

WFP used e-payments for 52,000 refugees to purchase food in local markets, and continued implementing income-generating activities to enhance self-reliance for 1,350 people [3].

WFP provided meals to 669,000 school-going children in 544 schools. The healthy and diversified diets encouraged school attendance and improved learning. Concurrently, under this home-grown school feeding programme, WFP supported 19,000 smallholder farmers supplying the schools, boosting agricultural production and market opportunities. Additionally, 422,811 learners in 144 schools received cash and in-kind take-home rations as part of the education cluster response to Tropical Cyclone Freddy [4].

Humanitarian and development partners support the Malawian Government in implementing the National Resilience Strategy. As part of this support, WFP provided an integrated package of support to 118,000 households to build their resilience to climate shocks, including asset creation, savings and loan groups, crop insurance, climate services, and smallholder agriculture market support. Additionally, 2.6 million water points were restored, 37,000 ha of household gardens were maintained, 1,500 ha of land was reforested, and 8 ha of community gardens were rehabilitated.

WFP resumed direct malnutrition prevention support using the integrated resilience programme cooperating partners.
This support targeted various beneficiaries with integrated nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions WFP promoted access to and demand for safe, nutritious, and affordable foods for the general population, with a focus on children under 2 and their caregivers, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and adolescents. WFP educated 1.3 million beneficiaries on infant and young child feeding practices, maternal nutrition and wellbeing, water, sanitation, and hygiene, and dietary diversification.

As the co-lead of the national logistics cluster, WFP worked with the Ministry of Transport and Public Works to enhance Malawi’s emergency preparedness and response capacity. This involved coordinating and managing information for government, humanitarian, and development partners, and providing logistics services. These efforts established WFP as a reliable supply chain support for the Government and other stakeholders. During the year, 700 mt of food and non-food items were transported by road, boat, and air through the logistics cluster.

WFP collaborated with government food agencies and local producers to enhance food quality and transform supply chain systems. Leveraging this expertise, WFP also supported the Ministry of Health in strengthening health supply chains for future health crises. Additionally, WFP worked with the Department of Disaster Management Affairs to strengthen logistics capacity and provide common logistics services, improving national emergency preparedness and response efforts.

WFP remained committed to working with local partners and building government capacity. In 2023, 87 percent of WFP’s partnerships were with local organizations.