By Deborah Madeya:
The World Food Programme (WFP) says it will scale down food assistance to refugees at Dzaleka camp in Dowa District from November this year.
The United Nations agency says it will scale down the assistance by 46 percent.
In its October 2026 Country Brief, WFP says it will reduce the number of people receiving cash-based food assistance from 65,000 to 35,000.
This is coming at a time the organisation is facing a funding shortfall of $142.3 million for its operation during the current lean season.
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WFP says it can only prioritise the most vulnerable among a camp population already living under severe economic constraints.
“Unfortunately, funding constraints have prompted WFP to transition to targeted assistance. To support a protection-sensitive transition, WFP, the Government of Malawi, UNHCR [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] and protection partners conducted a rapid protection risk assessment and strengthened referral pathways for affected populations,” the brief reads.
Commenting on the development, Inua Advocacy Executive Director Innocent Magambi has urged WFP to ensure that those deserving of support are not left out on the 35,000 list.
Magambi has also called on the government to expedite the review of the Refugees Act to allow refugees to engage in business and support themselves
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“We cannot be expecting additional funding to come [from elsewhere] to support the refugees. So, the call is still the same: To review the refugee laws since the current legal framework leaves camp residents entirely dependent on humanitarian assistance, with no pathway to self-reliance,” Magambi said.
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa described the decision as a “disaster”.
“WFP’s decision will have a devastating impact on refugees, especially considering that refugees have no source of income. So, all we need is a law to allow these people to engage in business outside the camp,” Kaiyatsa said.
Recently, the Malawi Human Rights Commission called on the Ministry of Homeland Security to expedite the submission of a new refugee bill to Cabinet, saying the current Refugees Act was outdated.
