UN welcomes maize from Malawi

Blantyre - Aids-blighted Malawi has donated thousands of tons of maize to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help people affected by the pandemic.

The WFP said it had received the donation of 10 425 metric tons of maize worth $1.8-million from the Malawian government last week.

"The contribution will ensure that tens of thousands of vulnerable Malawians continue to receive crucial food assistance until the end of 2007," WFP's director in Malawi, Dom Scalpelli said.

"This generous donation from the Malawian government will allow us to meet the needs of all our nutrition and HIV/Aids beneficiaries until the end of the year," Scalpelli added.

The WFP is currently providing assistance every month to more than 110 000 people affected by HIV/Aids in eight districts across Malawi, which has an adult HIV prevalence rate of 14 percent.

Around 1 500 malnourished mothers and children in therapeutic feeding centres countrywide are also being helped by WFP programmes, Scalpelli said.

The WFP plans to scale up its operations to reach 203 000 people by December in a country already recording about 78 000 Aids-related deaths every year.

"Food is absolutely crucial to the fight against HIV/Aids and people affected by the pandemic are already starting to benefit from this latest donation by the Malawian government and thousands more will now receive vital food assistance in the coming months," said Scalpelli.