3.8 M MALAWIANS AT RISK OF ACUTE FOOD INSECURITY

By Aamon Butao 

The World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16^th October.

The date was set aside by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945 and the first commemoration was in 1979.

The aim of the day is to promote healthy diets and eradicate hunger issues by 2030.

The 2022 Worldse Food Day is being commemorated in a year in which there are multiple global challenges including the ongoing Covid-pandemic, conflict , climate change, rising prices and international tensions.

All this is affecting global food security.

The theme for the 2022 commemoration is: ‘safe food today for a healthy tomorrow’.

The latest report on the state of food security and nutrition in the world, co-authored by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that Africa is bearing the heaviest hunger burden compared to other regions.

About 278 million people in Africa faced hunger in 2021.

This is an increase of 46 million people compared to pre-COVID period in 2019.

In Malawi, the World Food Program (WFP) estimates that 3.8 million Malawians, representing 20 percent of the population, will face acute food shortage during the upcoming lean season.

In an interview with Timveni, Civil Society Organization Nutrition Alliance (CSONA) Campaign and Advocacy Manager, Josephy Gausi, said this is the time for the country to reflect on how to manage food in order to achieve food security.

He said the country has been affected by COVID-19 and cyclones which affected production and increased cases of malnutrition.

He, however, said the country has to implement the agriculture policy which among other things encourages diversification.

According to Gausi, the country has to implement all relevant policies to have a hunger-free nation that will lead to the reduction of malnutrition.

This year’s World Food Day will be commemorated on October 27 in Ntchisi.