Over 13,000 Mozambicans are fleeing Malawi amid post-election violence

Thousands of Mozambicans have fled to Malawi to escape violence sparked by disputed presidential elections in October.

Current statistics show that Malawi has welcomed around 13,000 refugees from Mozambique in recent weeks, many of them women and children. The authorities assume that the number will continue to rise.

Sofia Jimu, the traditional leader of Mozambique’s Tengani area, is among those who have fled to Malawi. She said the lack of food was the biggest challenge at the evacuation center where she was staying, adding that three children collapsed from hunger in just one day. However, she said that the next day she was given 150 bags of maize flour and four bags of beans to distribute to people at the center.

Political tensions in Mozambique escalated after the Constitutional Council confirmed Daniel Chapo, presidential candidate of the ruling Frelimo party, as the winner of the October 9 election.

Second-place finisher Venancio Mondlane, presidential candidate for the opposition Podemos party, disputes the results.

Plataforma Decide, a monitoring group in Mozambique, says more than 200 people have been killed since post-election protests began in October.

Dominic Mwandira, the commissioner of Malawi’s Nsanje district, told VOA on Sunday that the biggest challenge is the lack of resources to care for the asylum seekers currently staying in makeshift camps near the border.

“In terms of food and non-food items, tents and water issues, there are several,” he said. “But we are pleased that partners are now coming in and the government is coming to support these people.”

He said organizations offering assistance include the Malawi Red Cross Society and Plan International.

Jane Mweziwina, Plan International’s program area manager in Malawi, told reporters they are working to ensure the protection of the new arrivals.

“They know that women, people with disabilities and children are always vulnerable in such a crisis. Therefore, we advise the leadership to pay special attention to these special groups of people in terms of accommodation, security and even food,” she said.

According to Malawian authorities, plans are underway to relocate asylum seekers to a more spacious center.

Meanwhile, the Malawi Ministry of Refugees and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Malawi are conducting a joint assessment to identify the needs of asylum seekers.