By Staff Reporter
The U.S. Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has announced an additional $12.8 million in assistance for Malawi to tackle food insecurity, strengthen anti-corruption efforts and respond to Tropical Cyclone Ana.
Accordimg to a press statement from USAID- Of the funds announced today, $9.7 million will go towards protecting the most vulnerable Malawians from food insecurity by distributing cash for food, providing support to farmers, and building agricultural supply chains. An additional $2 million will support Malawi’s anti-corruption efforts. USAID, in partnership with the United Kingdom, is co-financing a program that supports Malawian law enforcement and the Ministry of Justice in investigative techniques, evidence collection, and prosecution strategy, with a particular focus on asset forfeiture and recovery.
Finally, an additional nearly $1.1 million is being provided to support humanitarian response efforts for Tropical Cyclone Ana. Tropical Cyclone Ana made landfall in January, generating heavy rains and subsequent flooding across southern Malawi. In the days following the storm, USAID provided an initial $100,000 to meet immediate needs of displaced Malawians with shelter, water, and sanitation and hygiene (WASH) supplies. This additional funding will support shipping additional shelter materials for families temporarily living in evacuation camps.
The new funding follows USAID Administrator Samantha Power’s meeting with Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera where the two discussed mutual priorities, such as combating corruption, strengthening resilience and food security in the face of climate change, the polio outbreak, and continuing the fight to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their discussion also focused on continued collaboration for advancing Malawi 2063, which sets a vision of Malawi as a nation that is inclusively wealthy and self-reliant.
Power congratulated President Chakwera on becoming Chairman of the Southern African Development Community last August and applauded Malawi’s commitment to democracy and expressed her support for the government of Malawi’s efforts in combating corruption. She asked President Chakwera to consider re-engaging with global anti-corruption platforms, such as the Open Government Partnership.
The two also discussed the need for strengthening resilience due to the impacts of climate change, in the wake of successive cyclones, such as Tropical Storm Ana. Administrator Power underscored the United States support for Malawi with the announcement of an additional $12.8 million in humanitarian assistance, as well as a continued commitment to international polio eradication efforts, and accelerated COVID-19 vaccination goals.
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