Responding to Humanitarian Needs and Strengthening Resilience

This operation has been modified as per budget revision 10.

Over the last ten years food availability has improved in Malawi, but much of the population are unable to meet their food requirements fully or access a suitably diverse diet. Micronutrient deficiency figures are alarming, and stunting prevalence of 47 percent is the worst in southern Africa. Protracted relief and recovery operation 200692 follows unexpected developments that have led to increased political and financial volatility and vulnerability to food insecurity, requiring large-scale emergency food assistance since 2012. 

PRRO 200692 follows unexpected developments that have led to increased political and financial volatility and vulnerability to food insecurity, requiring large-scale emergency food assistance since 2012.

This operation will provide food assistance for 1.7 million people for the lean seasons from December 2014 to March 2017. It will gradually shift from relief to recovery and resilience-building integrated into long-term social support and maintenance of emergency-response capacities. The cash and voucher components will account for an estimated 25 percent of the transfers, depending on their suitability in local conditions.

This operation succeeds emergency operation 200608 and runs in conjunction with country programme 200287 and protracted relief and recovery operation 200460. It has the following objectives: provide life-saving food assistance for targeted food-insecure populations during the lean season; restore livelihoods and enhance household and community resilience through the creation of assets in Government-led complementary partnerships; reduce disaster risk and enhance the resilience of households vulnerable to lean-season food shortages; and prevent moderate malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in the 1,000 days from conception, and help to prevent stunting.

The relief component will be implemented during lean seasons through seasonal targeted food assistance, which will include nutrition-sensitive food, cash or voucher transfers, for people with seasonal food deficits, and conditional food assistance in some areas. The prevention and recovery component will include food assistance for assets for households with able-bodied members and behavioural change communication using food or cash/voucher transfers, focusing on integrated early recovery and the creation of productive assets.