Malawi: As Ration Cuts Bite, Malawi's Refugees Lose Vital Lifelines

What the report says

In Dzaleka refugee camp in central Malawi, refugees are confronting sharp cuts to food assistance as the World Food Programme struggles with a funding shortfall. The New Humanitarian reported that about 60,000 people in the camp received roughly $8 per person at the start of September, far below the amount needed to cover a month of basic food needs. Refugee leaders said the reduced support is not enough to meet everyday expenses, especially as staple prices such as maize have risen.

According to the report, WFP proposed focusing aid on people deemed most vulnerable, including those with disabilities, orphans and older refugees, while reducing support for others. Camp leaders, together with UN refugee officials and Malawian authorities, rejected that approach, arguing that vulnerability in Dzaleka is broader than a few categories and that selective cuts could create divisions among residents from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Horn of Africa countries.

The article also described wider pressures inside the camp, including the suspension of an economic mobility pilot that had offered some refugees a pathway toward work and resettlement opportunities. At the same time, a new settlement under construction in Chitipa has raised concerns about possible relocation from Dzaleka, which is already overcrowded. The report noted that Malawi is also considering changes to its refugee law and encampment policy, which advocates say could improve access to work and integration if adopted.