southern africa: catastrophe Averted but Crisis Continues

Droughts and floods occur regularly in Malawi without resulting in the severe food shortages experienced in 2002. This suggests that there is a more serious issue in the agricultural sector. Research into the causes of the crisis in Malawi points to policies imposed by the IMF and World Bank. These policies have disempowered Malawians, leaving households without enough money to buy farming inputs or food on the market. This is according to a recent speech on the 'Causes and Consequences of the Crisis in Malawi and the Role of Civil Society' by Francis Ng’ambi of the Malawi Economic Justice Network. Ng’ambi was speaking at a Southern African Regional Poverty Network (SARPN) discussion on the hunger crisis in Southern Africa. Mike Sackett, Deputy Regional Director for Southern Africa at the World Food Programme spoke on the topic 'Catastrophe Averted but Crisis Continues'.