Funding shortages hinder UNHCR’s refugee support

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says they are failing to meet the needs of recent returnees to Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa because of funding shortfalls.

In a statement, UNHCR regional director for Southern Africa Valentin Tapsoba said the refugee agency had only received 15 percent of the required $27.2 million (about K29 billion) for refugee support.

“As of 1 June, UNHCR has only received 15 percent of the required $27.2 million to adequately support refugees and asylum-seekers in Malawi in 2023. Insufficient funding severely hampers UNHCR’s ability to meet the protection assistance, and livelihood needs of refugees and asylum-seekers,” said Tapsoba in the statement.

 Prior to the forced relocation of refugees and asylum seekers to Dzaleka, which started on 17 May, an estimated 8 000 refugees and asylum seekers were living in rural and urban areas of the country.

So far, according to Ministry of Homeland Security spokesperson Patrick Botha, about 1 955 individuals have returned to Dzaleka Refugee Camp currently hosting over 51 000 registered refugees and asylum seekers against its holding capacity of 12 000 refugees.

Meanwhile, refugee rights advocate Innocent Magambi in an interview painted a gloomy picture of the living conditions of the returnees at Dzaleka, adding that they are struggling in many ways.

He said: “Some have completely lost everything they had. They are grieving, traumatised and many of them have no hope. Children who were in schools are wondering what will be the next steps for them, because many of them were born when their parents had started building life in the cities, and living in tents has brought many emotions and they are confused. In general, refugees are currently bitter, angry, and without hope.”

In line with this, Tapsoba also appealed to the government to facilitate the retrieval of the belongings that refugees were compelled to leave behind during the forced relocations to Dzaleka Refugee Camp.  

This also comes at a time when communities from Msundwe in Lilongwe were this week seen vandalising a refugee’s grocery shop.

The statement also urged government to provide exit permits to severely ill refugees to seek treatment outside the camp, as well as to students, to resume their education in schools they were enrolled prior to the relocation exercise.

In an interview, Botha said a delegation from ministries of Homeland Security, Lands and Local Government travelled to appreciate the proposed site for a new refugee camp at Mbalizi in Senior Chief Mwenewenya in Chitipa District. On the request for refugee children to return to their schools to complete their education, Botha said “those sitting for JCE and MSCE are being given exits to go and seat for examinations and return to the camp thereafter. The same for those with chronic illnesses”.