The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) issued a stark warning Friday regarding Malawi’s Dzaleka refugee camp.
Drastic funding cuts threaten at least 57,000 people with “severe hunger” by May.
This alarming announcement comes as the WFP faces a 40-percent funding drop globally this year.
The agency cautioned this could trigger an “unprecedented crisis” affecting millions.
WFP Malawi deputy country director Simon Denhere stated they might completely halt cash assistance in May without further funds.
He emphasized the grave risk of severe hunger for all 57,000 refugees in Dzaleka camp.
These refugees and asylum seekers, primarily from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi, rely on monthly cash-based food aid.
Malawi’s restrictions on refugee employment leave them with no other means of survival.
Camp manager Elton Phulusa described food as a major problem, predicting “chaos” if WFP distribution stops.
While the WFP did not name specific countries, its largest donor, the United States, has significantly reduced aid.
Other nations like Germany and Britain have also made substantial cuts.
Malawi is among 28 countries facing severe funding constraints and dangerously low food supplies.
The WFP urgently requires approximately $10.7 million to restore full rations in Dzaleka until December 2025.
Rwandan community leader Joyce Wamuyu expressed concerns about the “trauma” the cuts will inflict.
Hundreds were seen queuing for what might be their final monthly stipend in the intense heat.
She poignantly noted the impossibility of survival without work in the camp.