Malawi President Arthur Peter Mutharika has extended a state of disaster to all 28 districts and four cities as the country grapples with severe food shortages triggered by prolonged drought, according to an official statement on Friday.
In a statement, Justin Saidi, chief secretary to the government, said food insecurity has reached “alarming proportions,” noting that the situation is projected to worsen in the coming months.
Mutharika first declared a state of disaster in 11 districts in October. The measure has now been expanded nationwide after a report by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) warned that food shortages will intensify between October 2025 and March 2026.
“Following the projected worsening food situation in the country … President Mutharika has exercised his powers to extend the declaration of State of Disaster in all the affected areas,” Saidi said.
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), around 4 million people in Malawi are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, while 8,000 people are experiencing critical levels.
Humanitarian organizations have welcomed the extension, describing it as timely.
Wilson Moleni, commissioner for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), told Anadolu that the declaration will help mobilize additional resources for affected communities.
“The situation calls for urgent humanitarian support to save people’s lives. This extension should move people’s hearts to come in with support as soon as possible,” Moleni said.
John Kapito, executive director of the Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA), said the food situation is “very depressing and calls for urgent support.”
“As a consumer rights body, we applaud the president for taking this bold stand to extend the declaration. Majority of Malawians are hungry and they are going through pain in their endless search for food. We therefore appeal to development partners to come in and support the country,” he added.
Malawi, a Southeast African nation of around 22 million people, has suffered repeated shocks over the past five years, including cyclones and prolonged dry spells, significantly weakening its food production capacity.