Malawi President Joyce Banda has promised to continue giving out maize until the next farming harvest.
The President on Friday donated 4 000 bags of maize weighing 50kg each to the affected families in Balaka and Ntcheu en route to Lilongwe.
On Sunday, the President also donated maize at Masintha ground in Lilongwe where she conducted a rally.
The President said the donation is not sourced with government funds, saying the initiative is meant to complement the World Food Programme (WFP) and other government efforts.
The total population requiring food security assistance has increased from approximately 1.5 million to 1.9 million.
Two weeks ago President Banda directed that WFP accesses 15 000 metric tonnes while Admarc gets at least 10 000 metric tonnes from the Strategic Grain Reserve.
“Government has made a decision to give out food to the hunger stricken while WFP waits for its consignment it has sourced from outside the country to arrive in the coming weeks,” she said.
Humanitarian assistance in the country started in October in most of the 21 districts recommended by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) food security assessment findings in July.
In the South, the lean period started in October as normal, but areas of the Central and Northern regions began the lean period three months earlier.
