Fuel shortage persists in Malawi and disrupts daily life

The fuel shortage currently gripping Malawi has entered its second week and continues to disrupt the country's daily life.

Long queues are forming at gas stations, as uncertainty remains over when supplies will return to normal and motorists across the country are endlessly searching for fuel.

Many drivers have taken to sleep in their vehicles, sometimes for days, in the hopes of being there when a station gets refilled.

Authorities have yet to update the population on possible improvements, according to local media Malawi24.

Meanwhile, citizens struggle to get to work and business are losing customers. Minibus Owners Association of Malawi Secretary General Coxley Kamange has called on the government to address the crisis urgently.

He told Malawi24 that the shortage has led to rising transportation fares. Unable to afford the new minibus prices, some passengers are choosing to walk instead.

Malawi is heavily dependent on imports for its fuel consumption. Analysts say the country is chronically lacking foreign currency, which is required to fund oil imports.

Malawi already suffered a fuel crisis earlier this year, as global oil prices rose due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.