Arizona Tribune - Feed the Children Delivers Emergency Nutrition and Clean Water Support to 50,000 Flood-Affected People in Malawi

^{Photo: Deputy Minister of Health, Hon. Charles Chilambula, MP, receives a warm welcome from Feed the Children and Nkhotakota District Council stakeholders upon arrival at Liwalazi Camp.
Credit: Wongani Mkandawire / Malawi News Agency}

Flooding Displaces Families and Disrupts Essential Services

Severe flooding in January displaced thousands of families, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted essential services, including early childhood care. Communities were left without reliable access to clean drinking water, nutritious food, and childcare services, significantly increasing the risk of waterborne diseases and malnutrition, particularly among young children.

Families in displacement camps reported losing food supplies, household items, and access to clean water overnight, leaving young children especially vulnerable in the immediate aftermath of the floods.

Protecting Young Children During a Critical Period

Feed the Children Malawi supports 205 Community-Based Childcare Centers (CBCCs) in Nkhotakota District, serving more than 5,923 children with daily nutritious meals. The floods affected 148 CBCCs and 54 children's corners, forcing families into temporary displacement camps and interrupting critical early childhood services.

Working under the Nutrition Cluster, co-chaired by the Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and UNICEF, Feed the Children deployed a disaster response team to ensure continuity of nutrition services, access to clean drinking water, and on-the-ground operational support for both CBCC beneficiaries and other displaced families.

Feed the Children's long-standing presence in Nkhotakota District enabled a rapid response, leveraging existing CBCC networks, community leaders, and government coordination structures.

"As a child-centered organization, we are committed to safeguarding vulnerable communities during this critical time," said McHenry Makwelero, Country Director, Feed the Children Malawi. "Our priority is to protect the health and dignity of Malawi's most vulnerable children and families during this crisis, and beyond."

^{Photo: Adults and children assemble at a community distribution point while VitaMeal is provided to households.
Credit: Feed the Children}

Emergency Nutrition and Clean Water Support

To sustain child nutrition during the emergency, Feed the Children delivered 37,170 kg (18,585 packets) of VitaMeal, a fortified porridge produced in Malawi using a locally grown corn-soy blend. Provided through Feed the Children's longstanding partnership with Nu Skin, VitaMeal is specifically formulated to meet the nutritional needs of young children.

To reduce the heightened risk of waterborne diseases, the organization also distributed 136 cartons (32,640 sachets) of Procter & Gamble water purification sachets to households living in temporary displacement camps. Clean water demonstrations, handwashing campaigns, and hygiene education sessions were conducted to further protect community health amid an ongoing national cholera outbreak.

Delivering Aid Despite Challenging Conditions

Distributions took place under difficult field conditions, with damaged infrastructure and limited access to some areas.

"Despite poor road conditions, impassable routes, and vehicles getting stuck in mud, we ensured relief items reached all designated camps and even households that have already returned to their villages," said Tawonga Mhango, National Child Sponsorship Coordinator, Feed the Children Malawi. "In addition, we encouraged communities to maintain good hygiene practices within the camps, aiming to prevent the spread of cholera and to help strengthen their resilience against future shocks."

Government and Partner Coordination

The response followed a visit by the Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, Hon. Charles Chilambura, to Liwalazi and Nkhunga Camps on January 15, 2026, where he conducted a symbolic handover of relief items and met with flood-affected families. Following the visit, Feed the Children scaled up full distributions across affected sites.

Feed the Children continues to coordinate closely with the Government of Malawi, district authorities, and humanitarian partners to support families recovering from the floods and to maintain critical nutrition and clean water services as communities rebuild.

Looking ahead, Feed the Children plans to collaborate with partners to help restore disrupted childcare services and build greater community resilience, better preparing families to face future climate-related challenges.

^{Photo: VitaMeal and water purification sachet distribution to beneficiaries, facilitated by Julianna Mangani of the Nkhotakota District Council Nutrition Cluster and a local Health Surveillance Assistant.
Credit: Feed the Children}

ABOUT FEED THE CHILDREN

Feed the Children is a global movement committed to ending childhood hunger. We believe that no child should go to bed hungry, and so we provide children and families in the U.S. and around the world with the food and essentials kids need to grow and thrive.

Through our programs and partnerships, we feed children today while helping their families and communities build resilient futures. In addition to food, we distribute household and personal care items across the United States to help parents and caregivers maintain stable, food-secure households. Internationally, we expand access to nutritious meals, safe water, improved hygiene, and training in sustainable living. Responsible stewards of our resources, we are driven to pursue innovative, holistic, and child-focused solutions to the complex challenges of hunger, food insecurity, and poverty.

For children everywhere, we believe that having enough to eat is a fundamental right.

Learn how you can help create a world without childhood hunger at feedthechildren.org

Feed the Children | Create a world where no child goes to bed hungry

For media inquiries, please contact:

Richard Presser
405-247-0345
[email protected]

SOURCE: Feed the Children

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

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