Malawi

WFP supports the Government’s response to COVID-19 following the declaration of the State of Disaster WFP is co-leading the Food Security and Logistics Clusters and providing support to the Nutrition, Education and Socio-Economic clusters including for response planning and mobilization of resources. WFP has put in place precautionary measures across its operations, including during the provision of support to refugees, to prevent the spread of the virus.

WFP supports education through the provision of daily meals to around 1 million schoolchildren in 900 primary and nursery schools. In 10 percent of these schools, meals are cooked from fresh foods bought from local smallholder farmers. WFP also provides countrywide nutrition support to 337,000 children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and HIV/TB patients to treat acute malnutrition.

WFP provides relief assistance in times of emergency to save lives and protect livelihoods. The Malawi Country Office is continuing its shift towards resilience, focusing on addressing the structural causes of hunger and aligning that work with resilience interventions wherever possible. WFP is mainstreaming an integrated package of risk management strategies so that the gains achieved survive future disasters.

Around 37,000 people are registered as refugees and asylum seekers in Malawi. Political instability and social unrest in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa regions have resulted in a continued flow of refugees into Malawi for over two decades. WFP works to achieve and maintain food security among refugees through monthly food distributions. With the majority of the refugees living in camps having no access to livelihood activities, WFP food assistance is the only reliable and predictable source of food for them.