Malawi President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has this evening declared state of disaster on 23 districts.

This follows a special taskforce report which the President received following the wave of disaster which hit the country since this year's rain season.

"It is on the basis of this report that I stand before you tonight, by the powers conferred upon me by Section 37(1) of the Disaster Risk Management Act (2023), to declare a State of Disaster in 23 out of Malawi's 28 districts affected by El Nino conditions," he said.

The declaration which is with effective today applies to the following districts: Nsanje, Chikwawa, Blantyre, Thyolo, Mulanje, Phalombe, Chiradzulu, Zomba, Machinga, Mangochi, Balaka, Mwanza,

Neno, Lilongwe, Mchinji, Ntcheu, Salima, Dowa, Dedza, Ntchisi, Kasungu, Nkhotakota, and Karonga.

The President said apart from the late and erratic onset of rains, these districts have

experienced inadequate rains, floods, and prolonged dry spells, which have severely damaged crops and the prospects of food production.

"Our preliminary assessment is that close to 2 million farming households," he said.

The president has since asked stakeholders to come and assist the disaster ravaged situation.

These stakeholders include both national and international organizations such as United Nations family, World Bank, parastatals and all other well wishers.