wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Church agency in Malawi launches famine-relief program

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #9066 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

06013
Jan. 13, 2006

Church agency in Malawi 
launches famine-relief program	

by Frank Jomo  
Ecumenical News International

BLANTYRE, Malawi - The Church Action in Relief and Development agency (CARD)
has launched a program to help starving people in the country's southern
districts of Blantyre and Zomba.

	"Currently, there are over 4.5 million Malawians in need of food, a
figure that we may live with until harvesting time in April," said the Rev.
Fletcher Kaiya, a Baptist pastor who serves as the program's project
coordinator.   

	The church agency is organizing a 26 million kwacha (approx.
$210,000) food-aid program in the two districts.   

	Malawi is facing the worst drought in more than a decade, and the
situation has been aggravated by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and chronic poverty,
according to aid agencies.  

	In addition, floods at the end of 2005 displaced at least 1,000
people and destroyed a crucial maize crop. 

	The aid program, also supported by the Global AIDS Interfaith
Alliance, would mostly benefit home-care patients and orphans, Kaiya said. 

	"A total of 2,000 households will now at least have food prepared
from maize, and cooking oil that they will receive for four months," he said.
 

	The famine will cut Malawi's growth prospects by 2.7 percent and
widen its trade deficit, according to a forecast by the South Africa-based
Standard Bank Group.

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