United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has urged the Malawi Government to work with speed and ensure all necessary activities pertaining to establishment of a new refugee camp in Chitipa start immediately.
The agency’s point of view follows a speech that Minister of Homeland Security Ken Zikhale Ng’oma made on Monday at the 74th Session of the UNHCR Executive Committee where, among other things, he highlighted funding woes.
Head of UNHCR Fillipo Grandi said the organisation is looking into the issue of food.
“I would like to appreciate the Government of Malawi for identifying the new site for a refugee camp in Northern Malawi. We expect that the government will work with speed and that all the necessary works have to start immediately,” Grandi said.
In his speech, Zikhale Ng’oma said Malawi has not been spared from challenges affecting refugees’ management exacerbated by limited resources.
“The funding trends Malawi is currently facing have mainly affected food provision to the biggest refugee population as only 0.3 percent are reported to be well off without food assistance. Those that are being assisted are getting half the ration, which is an equivalent of $5, which is not enough to cater for a monthly food basket for an individual.
“The reduction in funding has also affected staff welfare, where an increment has not been made in the past seven years. With this, therefore, the Government of Malawi continues to appeal to partners for provision of resources towards management and support of refugees and asylum seekers as it cannot provide all the support on its own,” Zikhale Ng’oma said.
Earlier, the government disclosed that UNHCR had committed $80 million (about K87.6 billion) for the establishment of a new refugee camp at Kayilizi in Senior Chief Mwenewenya, Chitipa District.
It further indicated that UNHCR has committed $50,000 (about K57 million) towards the review of the Refugees Act of 1989.
