UK boosts WFP efforts to break the cycle of hunger in Malawi

Of this amount, £2.3 million will provide nutritional supplies for the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition among 87,000 people including children, and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, between June 2018 and March 2019. 

The remaining £6.8 million will help WFP to provide support to 31,000 households under its Food Assistance for Assets (FFA) programme. The funds will also allow for the scale-up of resilience-building interventions such as weather-indexed micro-insurance, village-based savings and loans activities, and climate services. 

“We are grateful to the UK for its steadfast support of our efforts to promote food and nutrition security in Malawi,” says Benoit Thiry, WFP Malawi Country Director. “This contribution comes at a critical time. The UK is a major partner which always stands with those in need of critical assistance.” 

The UK is one of the largest donors to WFP in Malawi, having contributed £24 million (USD 31.7 million) since 2016 towards breaking the cycle of hunger. WFP is supporting the Government of Malawi through a range of programmes, including emergency food and cash-based transfers, nutritional support and resilience-building. 

“Long-term investments are essential to addressing food and nutrition insecurity in Malawi and building the resilience of the economy and its people to weather-related shocks”, says Chris Austin, acting Country Director for the Department for International Development (DFID) in Malawi. “These efforts will help the country to achieve its potential and empower women, men and children to find sustainable solutions to hunger and enjoy a brighter future.” 

The funding will support a multi-sectoral approach to addressing malnutrition and building resilience. To ensure the long-term impact and sustainability of the programme, WFP is placing a significant focus on strengthening the capabilities of government, communities and families to withstand and recover from shocks. 

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About WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme - saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_Africa  

About UKAid

UKAid is official development assistance provided by the UK government, to help end extreme poverty. UKAid in Malawi is largely managed by the Department for International Development (DFID). Find out more at www.gov.uk/dfid. Get our latest press releases, free-to-use photos, embeddable videos and case studies online. Follow us on Twitter: @DFID_UK @UKinMalawi

                                 

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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Cheulekene Mita, WFP Lilongwe, +265 99 95 94 100 

Benson Linje, British High Commission, Lilongwe, +265882576929

Francis Mwanza, WFP/London, Tel.  +44 (0)20 3857 7411

David Orr, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39 3402466831