Government warns against malpractice under Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programmes.
Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs, Charles Kalemba has warned duty bearers handling cash transfers and maize distribution under the Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme (LS-FIRP) against corruption, and forceful sharing of cash assistance and maize.
This has been revealed during interface meetings with District Commissioners for Salima, Nkhotakota, Nkhatabay and Mzuzu City to safeguard preparedness for both LS-FIRP and Emergency Response Programs.
Kalemba said the tendency leaves vulnerable households’ food insecure, because the rations and cash given are calculated to support the household for the period provided for.
He said, “DoDMA will not condone the lawlessness of individuals who abuse government resources by taking advantage of the vulnerable people whose government and other humanitarian partners are helping to cushion hunger in their communities”.
He added that the government is going to take stern actions to bring to book anyone found abusing the two exercises, and the police will not spare those breaking the law.
Kalemba referred to what had happened in Balaka, Chikwawa and Phalombe where the World Food Program (WFP) suspended the cash transfer exercise, over claims that there were ghost beneficiaries in the beneficiary’s registry.
He lamented that the incident has indicated that some chiefs and councilors force beneficiaries to share what they have received with them.
The Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) projected that 3.8 million people will be food insecure from October 2022 to March 2023.
