Neno district commissioner (DC) Hudson Kuphanga has cautioned people receiving relief maize in the district against selling the staple food.

He said this on Saturday at Neno Community Hall during the distribution of relief maize to 8 182 households facing hunger in the district.

Kuphanga said government through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) wants to reach out to food-insecure people during the lean season, as such, they should not sell the maize.

People carry their bags of maize

“Government through Dodma has provided this relief maize in Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme, as such, use if for the intended purpose,” he said.

“We will only distribute maize for December 2022. As for January, February and March 2023

 beneficiaries will receive K25 000 each per month,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries, Milda Joseph from Mposadala Village thanked government for the donation.

“I will not sell the maize as advised. Now that I have food, I will be able to work in my garden instead of doing piecework in search of food,” she said.

Neno district relief and rehabilitation officer Brighton Mphinga said the district has been allocated K463 million for the 8 182 beneficiaries.

Dodma rolled out the 2022/23 Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme targeting food-insecure households following the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee report which projected that 3.8 million people will be food-insecure during this lean season  

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