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BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) - A worsening food crisis threatening millions of people prompted Malawi's president on Saturday to declare the impoverished African nation a "disaster area" and call for more international aid.
Drought has slashed the production of maize, a staple for the poor southern African nation. Malawi faces persistent food insecurity, but this year threatens to be the worst in a decade, partly because high HIV infection rates have left farmers too sick with AIDS to plant or tend their crops.
President Bingu wa Mutharika said the crisis was threatening 5 million of the country's 11 million people.
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