The Department for Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) has revealed that it has not yet secured the full amount needed for the El Nino response, with a shortfall of $48 million (approximately K73.5 billion). In an interview following a meeting with World Food Programme (WFP) country manager Simon Denhere and Korean Ambassador Jae Kyung Park in Lilongwe, Dodma Deputy Director Fyabupi Mwafongo stated that the total required for the El Nino response is $446 million, and although 78% of the funds have been raised, the remaining shortfall is still significant.
Mwafongo clarified that the food security cluster alone requires $197 million, of which 78% has been raised, leaving a $42 million gap. Meanwhile, Park, whose government donated $1.5 million (around K2.6 billion) to the multi-donor pool for the response, expressed satisfaction with the usage of these funds and indicated potential for future support to strengthen resilience in disaster-affected communities.
Despite concerns over Cyclone Jude’s impact, WFP’s Denhere assured that no major changes to the response plan are anticipated. WFP is closely collaborating with Dodma and is prepared to assist those affected by both the lean season and cyclones. The organization has already reached 90% of its 2.1 million-person target for aid, and additional food supplies are arriving from Tanzania with support from the World Bank.
