LILONGWE: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes the Malawi Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network's contribution of food and non-food items valued at US$ 22,000 to assist vulnerable people affected by floods caused by Tropical Storm Ana that hit Malawi on 24 January.
The items, comprising of fortified corn soya blend flour, essential food hampers and bedding will reach 2,800 households in the Chikwawa District of Malawi, particularly families with children under five years of age and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
"The situation is critical with thousands of people having lost almost all their personal belongings and food stocks," said Paul Turnbull, WFP Country Director and Representative in Malawi. "WFP commends the gesture by the Malawi SUN Business Network and we call upon the private sector at large to support humanitarian efforts by emulating this act of kindness."
The contributions have come from the following companies: Sunbird Hotels Limited, Old Mutual, Sungold Food Processing Limited, Crossroads Hotels; and from small and medium enterprises namely: Heritage Foods, Dairy Joy Limited, Liveonce Juicers, Perisha Agro, Mgom'mera, Ado Cassava Enterprise and Processing, DUSD Investments, Thanthwe Farm, Tatek Home Industries, Mzuzu Coffee Planters Cooperative and Juma Nutri Foods.
The network works with businesses to build sustainable local food systems and accelerate efforts towards food and nutrition security. It aims to empower the private sector to become a long-term sustainable development partner in nutrition, accelerating investments in products and practices
that contribute to ending malnutrition. WFP is partnering with the network to mobilise small and medium-sized businesses to act and invest responsibly in improving nutrition.
