In June, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) stated that a lack of funding has forced it to reduce its operations worldwide. The remedy includes some 3,500 employees cuts.In Malawi, where UNHCR has been active since 1994, refugee camp supervisors and security personnel have been closed since and the agency has been selling its vehicles, equipment and other assets.The situation in the country’s largest camp is serious for refugees and shelter seekers. According to the UNHCR, many other NGOs involved in the crowded camps are also preventing operations and community-based training and sensitization programs.
A furnishing approach for refugees in Malawi
Dzaleka mostly consists of people from the Great Lex region of Africa and horn in Africa.Civil society groups and activists are worried about the welfare of those people in Dazleka and ask how women and children will reach especially basic services.“I think it is very disturbing, especially where women are specially denied and you look at services that should be provided that meet human rights and gender issues. You look at health care services for example, and the fact that the job cuts are,” Jesse Chingoma, a gender and a labor worker said. “This means that now basic public services are not enough, they are already inadequate but now the situation becomes very bad.”
Where will the refugees go?
The Lilongway-based refugee rights advocate, once kept in the camp themselves, said, “It was reported that the government has started communication with the countries where refugees in Dazleka are to talk about potential repatriation.” “The refugees are worried, as most of them fear that they will lose the small security with them.”Dzaleka’s shutdown without a permanent option “a huge disaster,” a human rights activist, Undule Mwakasungula, told DW. This can “expose refugees to severe human rights violations, which may include some refugees, which may be forced to return to their countries.”Until 31 March, UNHCR said, “It received only 12per percentage of $ 26 million (€ 22 million) in Malawi this year to adequately support refugees and refugees, which disrupts its operation.
Inside dzaleka camp
Dzaleka was designed to accommodate 10,000 to 12,000 people. By the end of 2024, it placed 56,779 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Somalia, Burundi and Ethiopia.The struggle and political disturbance around Africa have operated Dzaleka to many since 1994. In February 2025 alone, thousands of Mojambicians sought refuge in Malawi. The UNHCR data shows a monthly intake of around 300 people, with 93 percent of the population of the camp with women and children.The 2024 UNHCR factories said, “Dzaleka refugee camp is highly crowded, resulting in a bad situation and poor infrastructure being created due to limited locations and resources.”
Call for comprehensive support
NGOs like Malawi Network against smuggling are calling civil society and the private sector can help in addressing Pitianon.“I think many players have to come in, we have already seen or heard government efforts, but the United Nations should not leave the whole situation,” Chingoma told DW.It is also being suggested that the UNHCR and Malawi government work closely on the voluntary reversion program launched in 2023. So far, 310 refugees from Burundi and Somalia have mainly returned home under the initiative.But not everyone agrees with voluntary repatriation. “When you say that there is a funding gap and then you say the solution is to close the refugee camp or look for repatriation, it is not a reference to repatriation,” Magambi told DW.“Reports should be something that people voluntarily assess the situation back home and decide to go. This should not be caused by any other external situation in this case, lack of funds and government’s inability to take care of refugees. ,Human rights advocates, meanwhile, warns the government to avoid forcibly repatriation. DW reached the government through the office of Homeland Security, but no response was received.
What do refugees think?
DW asked innocent Magambi whether he, as someone who was shelter in Dazleka, feels that UNHCR is needed in front of the lack of funding. “The plan for the future is how we reduce the burden of donor dependence among refugees, some of them have been planned for 31 years,” Magambi said.“We need to meet the donors, I believe that the fact that refugees in Dzaleka are considered as emergency for more than 30 years, do not give confidence to donors to give money to the donors in which there is not a final plan.”
