Malawi president extends state of disaster over drought, food shortages

LILONGWE, Malawi

Malawi President Arthur Peter Mutharika has extended a state of disaster to all 28 districts and four cities amid severe food shortages caused by prolonged drought, according to an official statement Friday.

Justin Saidi, chief secretary to the government, said in a statement that the food insecurity in the country has reached “alarming proportions.”

In October, Mutharika declared a state of disaster in 11 districts, but it has now been expanded nationwide as the food situation is expected to worsen from October 2025 to March 2026, according to a Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report.

“Following the projected worsening food situation in the country … President Mutharika has exercised his powers to extend the declaration of State of Disaster in all the affected areas of the country,” Saidi said.

Around 4 million people in Malawi are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity and 8,000 are facing critical levels, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

Various organizations and agencies have described the extension as “timely and a step in the right direction.”

Wilson Moleni, commissioner for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) told Anadolu that the declaration offers an opportunity for more resources and support for affected people.

“The situation calls for urgent humanitarian support to save people’s lives. This extension should move in people’s hearts to come in with support as soon as possible,” said Moleni.

John Kapito, executive director of the Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA), said the current food situation is “very depressing and calls for urgent support.”

“As a consumer rights body, we applaud the president for taking this bold stand to extend the declaration. Majority of Malawians are hungry and they are going through pain in their endless search for food. We therefore appeal to development partners to come in and support the country,” he added.

For the past five years, the Southeast African nation with a population of around 22 million has faced acute food shortages due to cyclones and prolonged dry spells.