U.N. Agencies Say Malawi Food Shortage ‘Becoming Dire’ for Mozambican Refugees

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U.N. Agencies Say Malawi Food Shortage ‘Becoming Dire’ for Mozambican Refugees

8:20 CAT | 20 Jan 2016

The Maravi Post / Mozambican refugees in Malawi.

A lack of funds may have severe consequences for more than 23,500 refugees at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi, the United Nations World Food Programme and the UN Refugee Agency said.

The WFP, which needs $2 million to resume providing full food rations for the next 12 months, has had to reduce rations and even suspend some foodstuffs during the last six months, according to a joint statement by the two United Nations organizations.

Malawi is the country worst-affected by food insecurity in southern Africa, where about 2.8 million people will need assistance. This situation is due to severe flooding at the beginning of last year followed by prolonged dry spells that have been exacerbated by the global El Nino weather phenomenon.

Dzaleka refugee camp is located in the central region of Malawi and hosts refugees mostly from the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa regions. Countries in these areas include Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.

In addition, asylum seekers who have recently arrived from Mozambique into the south-west of Malawi also require assistance, the agencies said.

Source: The Maravi Post