UNHCR and Government of Malawi commit to improve the welfare of refugees in the country
UNHCR and Government of Malawi commit to improve the welfare of refugees in the country
Lilongwe - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes the Government of Malawi’s commitment to improving the living conditions and overall well-being of refugees in the country. This collaborative effort, involving aid agencies and various stakeholders, aims to upgrade refugee settlements, with the possibility of establishing a new refugee site in the North.
In addition, the government pledges to uphold the human rights during the ongoing relocation process to the Dzaleka camp which commenced last month. The commitment was reaffirmed during a productive meeting between President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and UNHCR Regional Director for Southern Africa, Valentin Tapsoba, on Wednesday in Lilongwe.
The nationwide relocation of refugees follows a directive issued by the Government on 27 March 2023 to enforce its encampment policy. The directive requires all refugees and asylum-seekers residing in urban and rural areas to return to the camp by 15 April 2023 or face enforced relocation.
Prior to the forced relocation that started on 17 May, an estimated 8,000 refugees were living across rural and urban areas of the country. To date, approximately 1,900 individuals have returned to the congested Dzaleka camp which currently hosts over 51,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers originally established in 1994 to accommodate 12,000 refugees. Dzaleka camp now faces significant overcrowding.
“UNHCR is fully committed to working alongside the government to promote and protect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in Malawi and ensure the relocation process is carried out in an orderly and dignified manner,” said Valentin Tapsoba, UNHCR Regional Director for Southern Africa, during the meeting with the President.
“We are also encouraged by the government’s dedication to ensure the civilian and humanitarian character of Dzaleka, and their commitment to identify a new settlement to alleviate congestion. UNHCR stands ready to provide the necessary support to ensure the site meets adequate standards, including access to clean water.”
The Government has already identified a potential location in the Northern region to establish a new settlement for refugees. Authorities have pledged to involve UNHCR in the site assessment process and collaborate to secure resources for the development of the settlement.
UNHCR also appealed to the government to facilitate the retrieval of their belongings that refugees were compelled to leave during the recent forced relocations to Dzaleka camp.
Additionally, UNHCR urges the government to provide exit permits to severely medically ill refugees, enabling them to seek treatment outside the camp, as well as to students, allowing them to resume their education in schools where they were enrolled prior to the relocation exercise.
Malawi has committed to the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and pledged at the Global Refugee Forum in December 2019 to integrate refugee matters into its national development agenda. The country also vowed to reform its legal and policy framework, cover the registration and documentation of refugees, enhance refugee status determination, and support the self-reliance of refugees through increased livelihood activities.
As of 1 June, UNHCR has only received 15 percent of the required US$ 27.4 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. Due to funding shortfalls, UNHCR lacks the resources necessary to address the needs of the recent returnees to the camp, including the improvement of transit shelters and the provision of essential household items.
ENDS.
For more information on this topic, please contact:
In Lilongwe:
Kenyi Lukajo, , [email protected], +265885510477
Hélène Caux (on mission), [email protected], +27 82 376 5190
