Crisis in Malawi

Key facts about Malawi

• Population: 21.5 million
• Area: 94,280KM2
• Literacy rate: 68%
• Life expectancy: 63 years

The small landlocked country in south-east Africa is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in its history. In 2024, the El Niño weather phenomenon triggered the worst drought in southern Africa in a hundred years.

The government declared a national state of emergency in March 2024 as almost 40 percent of the population was affected by extreme food insecurity. The combination of recurring weather extremes, climate change and economic crisis means that 6.1 million people in the country are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. Recent estimates suggest 5.7 million people will not have enough food by March 2025.

Drought, floods and loss of harvest

Malawi is suffering greatly from the effects of the climate crisis. Increasingly prolonged droughts and flooding are affecting the southern and central regions in particular. In 2024, droughts and floods destroyed 44% of the land used to grow corn, the country's main foodstuff.

Rose (45) is facing ruin:

Rose has been looking after her family of ten since her husband died 20 years ago. So far, she has always just about managed to feed her seven children and two grandchildren with her own harvest. But this year the plants have dried up.

"It's harvest time and I have nothing," says Rose. High average cost of living In addition to the climate crisis, people in Malawi are suffering from high inflation and food prices have risen sharply. The average price of corn, for example, is 160 percent higher than the five-year average. Basic food has become unaffordable for most people. Women and girls are particularly affected. They often have to travel long distances for food and water and are frequently at risk of violence.

CARE in Malawi

CARE has been present in Malawi since 1998. In addition to the immediate provision of health services and essential goods, CARE supports people with unconditional cash aid for the purchase of basic foodstuffs.

Due to frequent extreme weather events, it is essential that Malawi makes its food supply crisis-proof. A change in agriculture is urgently needed to ensure the survival of millions of people. This is where the FoSTA-Health project, co-financed by the European Union, comes in. CARE supports women and girls who shoulder the burden of food production for their families, but often have limited access to land, resources and education. They receive training and technical support for more sustainable farming methods.

Ten forgotten crises

The CARE Crisis Report is published annually and highlights the ten crises that receive the least media attention. In 2024 Malawi ranked as the eighth least reported crisis in the world.