UN wants refugees relocated
United Nations says it is very important that the government grants legal status to the new arrivals as well as provide adequate land where basic services, such as shelter, food, water and sanitation, health and education can easily be provided at Kapise Village in Mwanza.
According to a statement released by the United Nations, there is need to relocate the people to an area further away from the border. The UN is engaging the government and traditional authorities to facilitate the allocation of more land.
UN representative in Malawi Mia Seppo commended the support from the district authorities and the host communities, despite the challenges they themselves are facing, while noting the need for other interim solutions including the relocation of the population.
“The UN support to the asylum seekers in Kapise is in addition to the population of more than 25,000 in Malawi’s main refugee camp in the Central Region Dzaleka camp which continues to also receive new arrivals, primarily from Burundi a n d the Democr a t i c Republic of Congo. Given restrictions on employment and movement for refugees in Malawi, the population is highly dependent on external assistance to meet their basic needs and for food in particular, WFP food assistance make up about 90 percent of their food sources,” said Seppo.
Meanwhile, WFP Representative to Malawi, Coco Ushiyama said with quickly rising population, current funding will not be sufficient to sustain assistance to those at Dzaleka Camp and now at Kapise , compromising their longstanding efforts to protect the food and nutrition security of the refugee and asylum seeker ’s population in Malawi.
Following military activity and conflict in neighbouring Tete province, residents have been flowing over the border into Malawi, relaying tales of aggression and destruction of property and possessions.
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