Malawi people facing starvation

MALAWI: About one third of the Malawi population is in danger of starvation if urgent action is not taken, aid agencies warned yesterday.

Mr Noel Molony, Concern emergency co-ordinator, said 50,000 young children and old people were on the verge of death now, while up to three million people faced imminent starvation. It was the most serious situation he had seen since the famine in Somalia, he added.

Concern has joined with Self Help Development, Trocaire and the Irish Missionary Union to call for urgent action for Malawi.

Ms Hilary McDonagh, Self Help director, said the country relied heavily on agriculture so a recent drought and flooding had seriously hampered its food supply. The instability in neighbouring Zimbabwe was also affecting the country, she said.

But the main cause of famine was the Government's decision to sell off of maize reserves and fail to replace them, according to Concern. The price of maize had increased five and sixfold in recent months because of this, Mr Molony said.