Malawi's prolonged fuel shortage cripples delivery of essential social services

By Jamal Jamal

LILONGWE, Malawi (AA) – Malawi is grappling with a severe fuel shortage, affecting transportation and essential services, with the country's energy minister pledging on Tuesday to address the issue.

The fuel crisis has been ongoing for the last two weeks. Gas stations in the country's major towns and cities have fewer patrols to sell, resulting in never-ending queues of motorists and a desperate situation for the public, which has recently faced its worst economic challenges.

According to consumer rights activists, the situation has resulted in higher transportation fares and essential commodity prices.

Opposition political parties and civil society organizations have referred to the situation as a "national crisis," requiring immediate action.

George Chaponda, leader of the opposition parties in parliament, told a reconvened session of parliament in the capital, Lilongwe, on Tuesday that the country is experiencing a "national crisis," which has reduced people to "second-class citizens."

"The fuel crisis is affecting every aspect of life. The prolonged shortage has an impact on people's lives and economic activities. Transportation costs have risen, and hospitals are struggling to operate as ambulances are grounded due to a fuel shortage.

"We as a nation must rise to the occasion and find a long-term solution to this crisis," Chaponda said.

He then accused the country's leadership of "not doing much" to find a long-term solution to the fuel shortage.

"This country has had an intermittent supply of fuel for a long time, but, surprisingly, the government is unable to find long-term solutions to this problem. The situation is subjecting all Malawians, regardless of social status, to unimaginable torture," he said.

John Kapito, a consumer rights activist, told Anadolu that the fuel shortage has exacerbated the country's economic woes, causing the country's poor majority to endure "unbearable suffering in their daily struggle for sustenance."

Energy Minister Ibrahim Matola told reporters that the government is implementing measures to normalize fuel supply in the country.

"A Crisis Response Technical Team is now operational, monitoring supply chain disruptions and responding immediately. As a government, we recognize the extent of the suffering that this situation has caused all Malawians, and we are doing everything possible to provide fuel to the country," Matola said.

The landlocked nation recently signed a government-to-government fuel procurement agreement with two companies from Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in an effort to normalize fuel supply in the country, which has been in short supply since 2020, but the arrangement has not yielded the expected results.

The country's fuel shortage is being blamed in part on a lack of foreign exchange, which has been at historic lows for the past six years.

Malawi spends $600 million on fuel importation per year, according to the country’s central bank.

Last year, Malawians from all walks of life took to the streets, forcing the energy minister to step down.