MALAWI/MOZAMBIQUE – Ukraine has donated 23,000 tonnes of maize to support Mozambique and Malawi under the Grain from Ukraine programme, to alleviate severe food shortages exacerbated by climate change and poor harvests in both countries.
The ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative is a humanitarian food program launched on November 26, 2022, by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to supply grain to the poorest countries in Africa.
The initiative underlines Ukraine’s commitment to assisting countries facing food security challenges and supporting its grain industry, even amid challenging geopolitical circumstances.
According to recent reports, a vessel from Ukraine will deliver 3,848 tonnes of maize to Mozambique and 19,200 tonnes to Malawi.
The shipment will first arrive in Mozambique by sea and then be transported by land to Malawi. The World Food Programme (WFP) will distribute the maize and other essential products to vulnerable populations in these countries.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Agrarian Policy has stated that the maize will assist approximately 200,000 people in Mozambique and 900,000 people in Malawi, providing critical food supplies for the next three months.
This generous contribution is part of a broader effort supported by several nations, including Sweden, the Netherlands, France, South Korea, and Portugal.
Ukraine remains a major grain grower and exporter, although production has fallen sharply since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
However, Ukraine still exports tonnes of grain and millions of tonnes of vegetable oils and oilseeds to vulnerable countries in different geographies.
Malawi, facing an acute food crisis, has welcomed the aid with optimism.
Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale emphasized the importance of this donation in addressing the needs of the country’s 5.7 million food-insecure people.
“The donation from Ukraine is greatly appreciated and will help mitigate the effects of recent climate challenges, including the El Niño phenomenon,” Kawale noted.
The crisis in Malawi has been compounded by inadequate rains and prolonged dry spells, which have severely impacted crop yields.
In March, President Lazarus Chakwera declared a State of Disaster in 23 out of the country’s 28 districts. The latest report from the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee predicts an increase in the number of people requiring food aid from 4.2 million to 5.7 million during the upcoming lean period.
The maize donation is expected to arrive by the end of August, depending on port activities, and is seen as a vital step in addressing the urgent food needs of the affected populations in the two nations.
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