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WFP will use the contribution from the U.S. Agency for International Development to purchase corn-soya blend – a partially precooked fortified food consumed as porridge, vegetable oil and pulses.

“People started running, so we ran,” says farmer Eliza Edward who lost her husband to massive floods triggered by cyclone Freddy that swept Malawi earlier this month. Eliza was forced to flee her home at the foot of Soche Hill, on the outskirts of the country’s commercial capital, Blantyre. After lashing other parts of Southern Africa last month, including Mozambique and Madagascar, Fred

The contribution, which comes at a critical time, will support 18,000 primary school children in 17 schools and provide market opportunities for 600 smallholder farmers for one year.  “Providing nutritious food to children at school in vulnerable districts is a pathway to quality education,” said Paul Turnbull, WFP’s Country in Malawi.

The cyclone hit the southern African country just as the rainy season was tailing off with several rivers and water bodies already at high levels resulting in severe flooding.  This has inundated farmlands and destroyed produce – just as farmers were about to harvest the only crop of the year - compounding an already difficult year in which 3.8 million people need food assistance.

The refugees, who are mainly from the Great Lakes region, receive monthly WFP cash assistance at the camp - where they face several challenges, including insufficient shelter and inadequate health, water, and sanitation services. The assistance provided was designed to meet the minimum recommended energy needs of 2,100 kilocalories.

Malawi is approaching the peak of the lean season and food insecurity is expected to worsen from now up to March. The contribution from France will be used to provide daily school meals to 18,000 school children across 17 primary schools and a market for approximately 600 local smallholder farmers who will supply fresh food to the schools.

In Dzaleka refugee camp, 50km from the capital of Malawi, Lilongwe, home to over 43,000 refugees and asylum-seekers from across Africa, the World Food Programme (WFP) is providing food and cash assistance. To mark international refugee day, I caught up with five young talents in the camp, honing their craft, passion, leadership and entrepreneurial skills to rebuild their live