Over 33,000 people from three Traditional Authorities (TAs) Nthache, Kanduku and Govati of Mwanza district are benefiting from a total of 635 Million Malawi kwacha from Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) through cash transfer. The development comes after the 2018 Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Mvac) Report, which projected that 3.3 million Malawians would be food insecure following a 28.4 percent decrease in maize production last year.

According to the report, maize production decreased from 3,464,139 metric tons (MT) as per the 2016/17 Third Round Agricultural Production Estimates to 2,697,959 MT as per the 2017/18 third round estimates. “The affected population would require 138, 488 MT of maize relief worth K23.5 million”, the report stated.

Speaking on Wednesday in Mwanza during the cash distribution, MRCS President Levison Changole said MRCS came in with this response following the MVAC report that called upon partners to support. Changole thanked the Danish, Finnish and Icelandic Red Cross Societies for financial and technical support rendered to MRCS to enable it reach out to the vulnerable communities with the cash transfer program.

MRCS President Levison Changole speaking to the beneficiaries of the cash transfer

Acting Director of Administration for Mwanza district council Rotima Mlombwa commended MRCS for coming to the rescue of the people of Mwanza. Mlombwa said the government of Malawi appreciates the role MRCS plays during disasters. She said MRCS through its volunteers, is always the first humanitarian organization to respond to emergencies in Malawi, siting the cash transfer in Mwanza where MRCS started the implementation even before government started distributing maize under MVAC.

33,162 people with a total budget of K635 Million Kwacha are being supported by the MRCS cash transfer program every month.