The elderly in the face of disasters in Malawi

MALAWI: Her only fixed asset, a makeshift house, nearly buried her alive when its muddy walls failed to withstand the devastating tropical storm Ana in early January 2022. She narrowly escaped a storm that destroyed large areas of crops and livestock, killed at least 32 people, injured 147 others, and displaced nearly a million people.

Elderly survivor with multiple challenges

Many senior citizens may appear vulnerable during natural disasters; however, because they may have experienced multiple disasters in their lives, they can help others positively cope with disasters.

However, if they have chronic illnesses, and physiological and/or mental challenges, old age can make them more vulnerable during disasters. Unfortunately, most of the time, their needs are overlooked because aid workers use one-size-fits-all interventions.

Magetsi Mbeu, 78, and her two orphaned grandchildren, ages 9 and 5, escaped a disaster that mercilessly struck and displaced scores of people at Msangwe Village in Chikwawa on a material night.

Mbeu's cracked and dry skin, which is associated with malnutrition, is a cause for concern in and of itself. Her main food is thick sorghum porridge and any available starvation plants. She is unable to purchase proteins such as meat.

Mbeu, who is widowed, faces numerous health and social challenges, but they are all hidden behind her contagious smiles and beauty. Her stories provide hope in the midst of adversity.

Not only is the widowed grandmother resilient to natural disasters, but she also has at least three mentally ill children to raise.

She also has to deal with HIV, as she is on anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy.

Her hope in drugs and faith in God, she says, are her sources of strength.

“ARVs, belief in God and food keep me going,” she empathetically said.

The elderly lady suffers from asthma and rheumatism. Her situation in the camps deteriorated due to a lack of blankets to keep her warm at night.

Despite being hit by two consecutive cyclones, Mbeu remains optimistic about the future.

Mbeu supports herself through piecework. She earns at least K500 ($0.61) per day from sand mining on a good day. She spends the money on food and education for her grandchildren.

Mbeu has been a victim of flooding four times in her life. She claims that floods usually empty water into her low-lying area on the banks of Malawi's largest river, Shire, the area's main source of livelihood.

Floods leave behind fertile alluvial soils suitable for crop cultivation. Crops, however, wilt before reaching maturity due to climatic variations.

To reduce the impact of climatic variations, communities have adopted the cultivation of early maturing crop varieties such as sorghum.

Mbeu receives cash support

Mbeu was enrolled as a beneficiary of the Norwegian Church Aid and DanChurchAid's once-off cash transfer by a local relief organisation CARD at the height of her misery.

Non-food items were also provided by the organisation.

Nonetheless, nostalgic feelings haunted her stay at the camp to the point where she looked forward to the day she would return to rebuild her home and resume her role as queen of the homestead.

“I am tired of living at a camp. It makes me inactive and separated from my relatives,” she said.

Mbeu intended to spend the money she received from NCA/DCA on food.

“At last, I’ll buy and eat the food of my choice. I will buy my favourite catfish,” she joyfully appreciated the cash support.

Blink of food insecurity

The elderly widow, who was already impoverished, is now reeling from the effects of the cyclones. She is on the verge of going hungry. Mbeu smiles as she waits in line to receive her cash assistance.

Acute food insecurity, on the other hand, is a recurring phenomenon in Chikwawa, a situation critics say is manmade in the midst of mineral and natural resource riches that could transform the country into a food basket in a single growing season. Unfortunately, the country remains a pathological food aid beggar.

Malawi lacks a realistic and practical social protection programme to help the elderly cope with disasters, chronic poverty, and food insecurity.

Senior citizens are left to starve and die because they are unable to receive assistance in their old age. As old age is associated with witchcraft, they may become victims of witch-hunting and mob justice in some cases.

Politically, the government downplays the threat of hunger in the face of an unsustainable politically motivated Agriculture Input Programme (AIP) budgeted at MWK142 billion for the 2021-2022 growing season.

Due to rising fertiliser prices, Malawian peasant farmers are likely to go hungry during the 2022-2023 growing season.

Malawi remains one of the world's poorest countries, ranking 174 out of 189 on the Humanitarian Index, with more than half of the population living below the poverty line of $1.9, and one-fifth living in extreme poverty.

The World Bank predicts that the country's poverty rate will remain around 74 per cent in 2022 and 2023 as a result of weather shocks affecting agricultural productivity and income.

Currently, 2.7 per cent of Malawi's population is over the age of 65.