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Head of World Food Program starts visit to Malawi

Xinhua, April 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

The executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Ertharin Cousin, on Wednesday started a two-day visit to Malawi as the African country is recovering from the devastating floods which have affected more than a million people and left some 600,000 in need of food assistance.

"While in Malawi, Ms. Cousin will visit flood-affected communities, government officials and members of the donor community," Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here.

During the visit, the WFP executive director is scheduled to meet leading government officials, members of the donor community, WFP's work partners and flood-affected residents.

More than 270 people have been killed and 300,000 more displaced by torrential rains and floods that hit Malawi early this year, reports said.

Since Malawi President Peter Mutharika appealed for humanitarian aid on Jan. 13, WFP has been providing food items such as maize, beans, fortified vegetable oil, and Super Cereal to more than 70,000 people affected by the floods in the districts of Phalombe, Mulanje and Chikhwawa.

Countries including Zambia, South Africa and Canada have also supported Malawi flood victims with cash, blankets, tents and aircraft for the ongoing rescue operations, the reports said.

WFP is the UN's food assistance branch and the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 75 countries. Endite