The Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Ertharin Cousin, will visit Malawi next week at a time when the country is facing its worst food security crisis in decades. Ms. Cousin is due to arrive in the southern African country on Monday 18 and to stay till Wednesday 20 July.
Some 6.5 million people – nearly 40 percent of Malawi’s population – need emergency food assistance, according to the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee report for 2016/17. This situation will require the largest humanitarian response ever in the country’s history.
For part of her visit, Ms. Cousin will travel with Dr. Jill Biden, Second Lady of the United States, who is in Malawi as part of a three-nation African tour focusing on economic empowerment and educational opportunity for women and girls and on partnerships on global health and food security.
While in Malawi, the WFP Executive Director will meet government officials and beneficiaries of WFP food assistance including drought–affected people in Zomba and Lilongwe districts.
During the visit, journalists will have the opportunity to interview Ms. Cousin and to learn about WFP activities including drought relief, school feeding and support for smallholder farmers.
