Islamic Relief Approves a $155,000 Relief Programme for Drought Affected Malawi and Implements a $6,000 Quick-Impact Agricultural Project.

Malawi, along with at least 5 other Southern African countries, faces a severe food shortage between now and April 2003. According to the WFP 14.4 million people in the region and 3.4 million people in Malawi are in desperate need of external assistance.


Following a needs assessment during August by 2 members of Islamic Relief's Emergency Response Team, a $6,000 quick impact project was funded which saw the distribution by a local partner of 464 farmers' starter packs. Each of these 14-Kg farmers' packs contained 2 Kg of maize seeds; 2 Kg of groundnut seeds &10 Kg fertiliser.


With adequate irrigation, the seeds in each starter pack should yield approximately between 250 Kg and 300 Kg of maize - insha Allah, which is sufficient to support a family of 6 for 6 months. The groundnuts, which are protein rich and nutritious, can be grown all year round and act as a cash crop which farmers can sell at a reasonable price in the markets.

The needs assessment confirmed that the vulnerable i.e. women-headed households, children, the elderly, chronically ill persons - many with HIV/Aids- and pregnant women are in urgent need of food aid. Farmers require seeds and fertilisers to plant for next year. Irrigation pumps are required to counter the effects of drought, to allow farmers to moisten their soil in the absence of rain and empower them to have a second planting season during normal years. Without programmes to address these agricultural issues, the rural population which makes up approximately two thirds of the Malawi population faces a similar food crisis next year and will remain dependent on external food aid in coming years as drought is expected to be chronic and cyclical.


Islamic Relief has this week approved a $155,000 project which shall insha Allah address the immediate short, medium and long term basic food and water needs of approximately 18,840 individuals in 10 villages in the Zomba district of Southern Malawi. It is planned that the project will undertake the following 4 activities:

1. Distribute a total of 3,140 family food hampers, each hamper containing 50 Kg of maize and 10 Kg of high energy porridge cereal, weighing a total of 188 Metric Tonnes.

2. Distribute a total of 3,140 farmers' starter packs, containing maize seeds, groundnut/legume seeds and fertiliser, weighing a total of 44 Metric Tonnes.

3. Construct 21 irrigation wells in 10 villages - facilitating farmers to draw sub-ground water to irrigation channels in their fields and provide clean drinking water.

4. Provide training to communities on sustainable agriculture, rural livelihood and use of local irrigation technology.