Dzaleka refugee camp hosts more than 65,000 refugees. Since 2022, WFP has provided refugees with assistance covering up to 75 percent of their food needs, but this level of support can no longer be sustained. Based on a vulnerability assessment, WFP plans to provide 35,000 of the most vulnerable refugees in Dzaleka with monthly cash assistance valued at USD 8 per person, covering 50 percent of their food needs.
"For years, WFP has stretched every dollar to ensure refugees in Dzaleka refugee camp receive food assistance. As funding declined, we reduced rations to reach as many people as possible. But we have now reached a devastating turning point: we are no longer just cutting rations, we are being forced to cut people off food assistance altogether, including families with little or no means of earning a living," said Hyoung-Joon Lim, WFP Representative and Country Director in Malawi. "These are people who have already fled conflict and persecution in search of safety. They should not face hunger too. No one should have to decide which hungry family eats and which goes without. Yet even the 35,000 most vulnerable refugees we can continue supporting will receive only half the food they need. US$7.2 million would restore full rations for these 35,000 refugees through April 2027, a critical first step towards reaching everyone again. Behind every funding shortfall are real families, and behind every cut are lives at risk."
WFP will prioritise households assessed as facing the greatest risks of food insecurity, malnutrition and protection concerns. The vulnerability categories used to determine eligibility for food assistance were developed through consultations among WFP, UNHCR - the UN Refugee Agency, the Government of Malawi and refugee representatives.
"UNHCR remains deeply concerned about the impact that funding shortfalls are having on refugees and asylum seekers in Malawi. Their humanitarian and protection needs have not diminished, but the resources available to meet them have," said Helen Mebrahtu, UNHCR Multi-Country Office Representative a.i. for Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. "These funding constraints are forcing difficult choices at a time when many refugee families continue to face significant needs. UNHCR will continue working closely with the Government, WFP and other partners to monitor the impact of this transition, respond to emerging protection risks and continue advocating for greater support and stronger opportunities for refugees to become self-reliant and socio-economically included."
Refugees who are not prioritised for food will still retain their refugee status and associated rights. The Government of Malawi, UNHCR and WFP while strengthening complaints and feedback mechanisms, protection referrals and monitoring for assisted and non-assisted households, will continue to advocate for self-reliance and socio-economic inclusion for refugees and asylum seekers.
"Malawi remains committed to providing protection and refuge to people who have fled conflict and persecution," said General Ignacio Maulana (retired), Commissioner for Refugees at the Ministry of Homeland Security. "We are working closely with UNHCR, WFP and other partners to manage this challenging situation responsibly and to ensure that protection, dignity and humanitarian principles remain at the centre of the response."
WFP urgently requires USD 7.2 million to provide full rations for refugees in Malawi through April 2027.
