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Malawi

Malawi Drought - Situation Report Round 1 (November - December 2024)

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Malawi is one of the countries that are currently facing drought, linked to the El-Niño phenomena that has impacted the Southern Africa region. The government of Malawi officially declared a state of disaster due to drought condition in March 2024, requesting humanitarian assistance for more than 9 million people that are likely to be affected countrywide. As of 11 September 2024, 4.2 million people across the country were classified under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Level 3 (Crisis), indicating acute food insecurity. The drought condition has impacted agricultural productivity, further increasing food insecurity levels, access to potable and access to Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). The drought in Malawi has occurred while communities were still recovering from cyclone Freddy’s impact, which previously resulted in the loss of crop fields, livestock, and significant damages to homes, and shelters. These impacts have left many places previously used for farming and settlement to become debilitated and non-functional, leaving relocation and resettlement as the only options. As such, the condition is expected to have an aggravated impact because it has found the communities already in a vulnerable and unprepared state.