Christian Aid has received £250,000 from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Fund, for its work in Malawi.

Along with an equal grant to the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF), the money will be spent distributed to families affected by the current food crisis in the African country.

Around 5.4 million people in the country are unable to meet the basic food needs of their household, according to the World Food Programme, due to a combination of erratic rainfall, poor predicted harvests and extremely difficult economic conditions.

Christian Aid’s Country Director for Malawi, Luke Theu, said: “We welcome the funding from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund which will allow us to quickly reach the immediate food needs of 3,100 households (15,500 people) prioritising women, children, and people with disabilities in three communities in Mwanza with cash, so they can spend the money on food and essentials.

“This grant from the Scottish Government is a continued commitment of the long-term friendship between Scots and Malawians which began in 1859.”

International Development Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “Scotland has historic ties with Malawi and this funding also reflects our commitment to the partnership between our two countries, which supports development in areas such as health, education, renewable energy and access to safe water supplies.”