We met a villager, Edward Mponzera from Simbi village in the area who said the situation is so dire in the area such that should nothing be done quickly, some people could die of hunger.

“People cannot even find husks to use for food,” he said. Mponzera raised the alarm when an organization called Action for Progress distributed rice to the affected families.

“We are calling on well-wishers to come forward and assist us before people perish. At the moment, some are developing kwashiorkor,” Mponzera said.

We could not independently establish the claims with health authorities.

But Executive Director of Action for Progress, Wilson Tembo, says because of the situation, his organization has put up community grain storagies in Dowa, Dedza and Ntchisi to encourage villagers keep grain harvest such as maize for when they would need it in future.

Meanwhile, the organization has distributed rice to vulnerable people in the area following poor maize harvest in the last growing season.

“We have built warehouses where villagers around the area will be keeping their maize. They will access it during lean periods so as to avoid a repeat of current situation,” Tembo said.

Over 1.8 million people are reported food insecure in the country.