LILONGWE, 25 April (IRIN) - QUESTION: How has the country managed to deal with the food crisis, which at its height threatened five million people?
ANSWER: Six or eight months ago, many were predicting catastrophe. Thanks to the partnership between government, donors, the UN and civil society, these predictions have not come true.
Government took a strong lead and donors have responded generously to enable the import and distribution of maize and other food items to roughly 40 percent of the population. The launch by the president [Bingu wa Mutharika] of the 'Feed the Nation Fund' sent a powerful signal about the determination of the country to take the lead in managing the crisis.
The UN Appeal launched in August 2005 helped raise additional resources and has helped ensure that many vulnerable people, notably children and lactating mothers, received assistance - whether through food distribution, nutritional support, protection from exploitation and in many other ways.
However, many poor people have paid a heavy price. It is still too early to assess this, but it is likely to include increased incidence of diseases such as HIV and AIDS, malaria and TB, higher levels of chronic malnutrition, social disruption in communities and loss of assets at the household level.
The efficiency and effectiveness of the steps taken to procure, import and distribute agricultural inputs and maize needs to be assessed. This will be part of a broad evaluation commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture of the national response to the food shortage [and] this should reveal valuable lessons for the future.
In the long run, the route to food security lies in promoting economic growth and alternatives to reliance upon maize, including jobs in other sectors such as food processing, small industry and services. Immediate priorities must include agricultural diversification, reducing dependence upon rain fed agriculture and improving marketing and communication infrastructure.
More: Alertnet.
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