Malawi’s President Chakwera has declared a state of disaster

Malawi’s President Chakwera has declared a state of disaster due to a hunger crisis affecting 23 out of 28 districts in the country. This is caused by El Niño-induced dry spells that have affected many countries in the region. Over 2 million farm families in Malawi are affected, with 700 hectares of farmland destroyed. Chakwera urged local and international aid to assist the affected population, estimating a need for over 600,000 metric tons of maize to feed those in the disaster areas.