| |
| |
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
 | |
|
| |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
| |
| |
| | | |
| Malawi Facts Famine Malawi is often affected by hunger and famine; often as part of a wider famine affecting many parts of Southern Africa. Once again, Malawi faces a famine, which this year threatens to be worse than ever. The rains were insufficient and it is estimated that there will be a 15% shortfall in the supply of maize this year. The Southern part of Malawi is the worst affected and this is where the majority of the population live. It is thought that up to 5 million people will need food aid; nearly half the population. The AIDS epidemic increases the problems as many of the farmers are too sick to work and others have less time to farm as they care for sick relatives. This becomes a vicious cycle, as poorly nourished people who are HIV positive, succumb to AIDS much faster. The major Aid organisations have appealed for funds for Malawi. However since the Asian earthquake and other high profile disasters, the media has switched its attention from Malawi. We urge the public not to forget this desperately poor country and its people. MACS will respond where it can. We already support various orphan organisations and at time of need, these will need extra help. We will also try to respond to requests for help from parishes. For more on how MACS is supporting famine relief click here. General reasons for famine in Malawi The reasons for Malawi's hunger and famines are varied and complex but include: The weather: serious flooding or drought. This severely effects the maize crop, the staple diet of the rural poor. Too much rain and the maize rots; too little at the crucial flowering stage and the crop is lost. Shortage of land due to increasing population, partly because many refugees from the war in Mozambique did not return. Lack or irrigation: Malawi is a water-rich country with the lake and a number of significant rivers. Irrigation is an obvious solution but only 1% of arable land is under irrigation, and most of this is for cash crops such as sugar and tea. Mismanagement of the economy: the IMF (International Monetary Fund) has a dubious record on advice to the Malawi government. In 2002 it encouraged the Government to sell off 100,000 tonnes of 'surplus' maize. There was wide spread famine that very same year. HIV/AIDS: now estimated to be affecting over 25% of the adult population and even higher in some places; in addition to sickness and deaths, increased demands on caregivers' time, usually women, reduces time for growing food. Human greed: a few traders buying and hoarding maize to sell later at inflated prices. Price hikes: placing food out of the reach of the poor Fall in real income: the minimum daily wage of Kwatcha 66 (32p) per day, is little changed in 5 years; only about 10% of adults are in paid employment. Meanwhile remittances from family members in South Africa and Zimbabwe are vanishing; tobacco (previously 80% of Malawi's export income) is at rock bottom prices, coffee prices have collapsed; tea struggles on. Price inflation continues to knock down the value of the kwacha More on famine in Malawi Structural DamageA summary of a report from the World Development Movement on how The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forced policies onto the Government of Malawi and so turned a food shortage into a famine. The report concludes that a catalogue of disastrous IMF enforced policies have undermined Malawi's ability to feed its people. It blames the ongoing privatisation of the food production and distribution system (notably the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation - ADMARC), removal of agricultural subsides to small farmers and deregulation of price controls on staple foods such as maize - policies that have enabled Malawi to avoid famine in the past. | |
| |
| | | |
| |||
|
Website by |