Malawi is today joining the international community in commemorating the World Refugee Day amid a funding crisis facing Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa District.
The camp, home to over 57 000 people from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Somalia and beyond, has long been a home for those fleeing violence.
humanity. | Plan Malawi
However, years of aid and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) support are collapsing under devastating funding cuts, making the inhabitants barely survive.
In an interview, Plan Malawi project manager at the camp, Lawrence Maulidi, said the situation at Dzaleka was appalling and needed urgent attention.
“What is happening now is not just a funding crisis; it is a crisis of human dignity,” he said.
When UNHCR’s coffers were flush, the refugees were assuredof basic protection and services in this camp. But as of late March, the agency reported that it had received only 12 percent of the $26.3 million needed for Malawi this year.
For years, World Food Programme provided cash aid of K18 000 ($10) per person each month, but this was slashed to $8.60 per person.
In an interview, a Congolese mother ,with tears in her eyes and clutching her 12-year-old child’s hand, said: “My daughter wants to be a doctor, but if the funding cuts continue what hope do we have?”
Health services are also collapsing as UNHCR-supported clinics have run out of medicines and essential services and there are stories of refugees suffering from diabetes and hypertension, conditions that are manageable.
Earlier this year, Plan Malawi expanded girls’ clubs and health education in Dzaleka, teaching adolescents about their bodies and rights in gender-sensitive ways.
UNHCR country representative Kouame Cyr Modeste emphasised that despite the current funding challenges, the agency remained present and committed to supporting refugees in Malawi.
This year’s World Refugee Day theme is ‘Solidarity with refugees’.
