Attachments
Highlights
UNHCR quickly mobilized to provide life-saving assistance to people affected by cyclone Freddy in Malawi and Mozambique.
The response to cholera was intensified as Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe struggled with outbreaks.
Efforts towards durable solutions continued, in particular for resettlement and voluntary repatriation.
Regional Context: Key Developments
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Return to camp in Malawi: On 27 March, the Government of Malawi issued an order requiring all refugees living in urban and rural areas to relocate to Dzaleka camp by 15 April. UNHCR has met with different government officials to appeal for the directive to be suspended and is continuing to monitor the situation. If enforced, the order will have negative repercussions for refugees, especially given the congestion of Dzaleka camp, which is home to five times the amount of people it was built to accommodate. The order also raises concerns about refugee health and well-being due to the cholera outbreak that is affecting multiple districts in Malawi. Some 45 people have returned to Dzaleka camp since the first return order in 2022.
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Cyclone Freddy: In March, cyclone Freddy made its landfall in Mozambique and Malawi, causing torrential rains, floods, and mudslides and leaving a devastating trail of destruction in its wake. Over half a million people were displaced by Freddy – many IDPs already living in settlements – and hundreds lost their lives. Furthermore, key infrastructure, including roads, health facilities, and schools, was wiped out by the disaster, and the risk of cholera has risen at a time when many countries in the region are struggling to contain outbreaks. In Malawi, UNHCR distributed tarpaulins, clothes, and tents to affected people, and in Mozambique, experts were deployed to deliver protection to the affected population.