Government says it will disburse cash to about 12 103 households in Nsanje to enable them to buy food during the 2020/21 lean season.
The support follows a Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee report that established that about 2.62 million people in the country will face food shortage between October 2020 and March 2021.
As a result, government is implementing the 2020/21 National Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Plan through the vertical expansion of the Social Cash Transfer Programme.
Speaking on Wednesday when she witnessed the disbursement process of the funds to some of the beneficiaries in Traditional Authority Ndamera in the district, Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati said government is committed to providing basic resources to vulnerable people.
“The response plan seeks to protect those facing food shortage to reduce their food gap, protect and restore their livelihoods and prevent them from falling into acute malnutrition,” she said.
Kaliati also spoke against child marriages and gender-based violence which she said were rampant in the district.
On his part, Senior Chief Malemia commended government for the initiative, saying it will lessen people’s suffering.
One of the beneficiaries, Minola Bembe, said she will use the K66 200 she received to buy goats and pay school fees for her grandchildren.
About $80.7 million (about K63. 5 billion) has been allocated to the four-month response plan in Nsanje, Balaka and Neno.
