Malawi Household Food Security Bulletin | Mobile Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (mVAM) on the Effects of COVID-19 in Malawi – Round 12: 11th April – 10th May 2021

SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS

Overall, food security between the months of April and May 2021 has improved slightly as shown by an increase in the proportion of households classified as having borderline food consumption and a reduction in the proportion of households classified as having poor food consumption. This is largely due to households consuming from this year’s harvest.

 The proportion of households who are employing the most severe consumptionbased coping strategies has decreased in the current round compared to the previous five Rounds 6-11 (except Round 10), indicating an improvement in food security during the period of data collection.

 The percentage of households who reported having access to markets in the current round has improved to 61 percent from 55 percent in Round 1. This is 4 percentage points higher than Round 11. The increased access to markets is, in part, attributable to the acquisition of income for some households who are selling produce from the current harvest.

 The number of households who reported that at least one member of their family had had a fever in the past two weeks decreased slightly to 57 percent in the current round from 59 percent in the previous round. On the other hand, households with at least one member who reportedly had a cough or difficulty in breathing increased this round compared to the previous round.

Source: World Food Programme