Makwangwala told Zodiak Online Friday that, despite the humanitarian response from government and partners going into the area, the situation has not improved.

“The trees now have no mangoes. The communities are helpless,” he said observing that the crisis has hit an area of a population of 90,000 people.

Makwangwala was speaking when the Muslim World League brought humanitarian assistance Pengapenga on Friday.

One beneficiary of the assistance, Velediyana Edwin, from Kambuku 2 Village in the area of Makwangwala said “We are helpless. We cannot even secure piece works to sustain livelihoods”.

Ntcheu Bwanje South parliamentarian, Mwisho Chilikumtima, says the situation in the area is so dire that development programs have now been affected.

In the meantime, a latest Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report indicates over 1.2 million people in the country are food insecure.