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Nkhani Zathu |
AUGUST 2007 |
FeatureAn Ordinary African Village Malawi currently hosts almost ten thousand refugees from its African countries. The country’s two refugee camps are a lot different from the images shown in news broadcasts and Hollywood films. Dzaleka resembles an ordinary African village; with shops, markets, and bustling street live. They even have football pitches, bars, breweries and television rooms. The United Nations High Commissioner administers Malawi’s two refugee camps, Dzaleka and Luwani, for Refugees (UNHCR). The UN General Assembly established the UNHCR in 1950. In the immediate aftermath of World War II more than 1.2 million people across Europe were left without a home – the founding of the UNHCR was proof of the global community’s commitment to solving that problem. Originally, the UNHCR was given a three-year mandate to help resettle the European refugees and thereafter extended every five years, until 2003 when the UN General Assembly finally made a commitment to remove the time limitations on UNHCR’s mandate – until a final resolution is found to the refugee problem. Today UNHCR’s staff of 6,500, help 20.8 million refugees in 116 countries. Over the last half century, the agency has assisted more than fifty million people and received various recognitions – including two Nobel Peace Prizes, in 1954 and 1981. Drastic change Malawi received the first refugees in 1989, approximately 1.2 million Mozambicans during the crisis – one of the largest numbers a single country has ever hosted – and successfully repatriate the entire group. Malawi opened its doors to other African refugees in 1995. Malawi is currently home to around 9,500 refugees. There are two refugee camps in the country; 5,500 people live in Dzaleka, which is located near the capital Lilongwe, and 2,800 in Luwani, 350 kilometres south of Lilongwe, near the Mozambican border. Approximately 1,200 refugees are scattered around Malawi’s cities. The lives of Malawi’s refugees are in the process of changing dramatically; in late April, the Malawian government ordered the closure of Luwani camp and its inhabitants transferred to Dzaleka. The decision was prompted by an increasing concern at the number of asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa, who claim asylum, but then cross the border into Mozambique heading for South-Africa. The huge undertaking has already begun. The first group of refugees was transferred on 20 June. Mr. Ngoma, Assistant Camp Administrator of the Dzaleka camp, admits that receiving 2,800 additional people to the camp will be a huge undertaking, but which he believes will be managed accordingly. “I do not think that the new people will have major trouble blending in. Of course there are always problems when people live together.” the biggest challenge now is to provide building equipment, learning and health facilities. Bars and bustling street life Malawi’s two camps are not anything like the stereotypical refugee camps. In the movies and on the news you see miserable fenced off areas, where people live in blue UNHCR tents and sit around idly all day. Those who carry such images in their heads are in for a surprise – Dzaleka camp is set up like a small village; with shops, markets, and bustling street live. They even have football pitches, bars, breweries and television rooms. Roger is a Burundian who works as a barber in the camp. He charges twenty kwacha for a haircut and makes two hundred a day. “I think that the conditions are all right here, but there is not enough food distributed. We always finish the rations before the end of the month.” Roger is a keen swimmer but says that he has not been able to practice his favoured sport since he came to Malawi a few years ago. The first thing you notice when entering Dzaleka is the number of children; there seem to be curious children running around everywhere, many of them chasing a football. The children look strong and healthy, and they are certainly loud. It takes guts to uproot and settle in an unfamiliar country, facing an unknown future. The children seem to have inherited the toughness from their parents; they generally do very well at school. Luwani secondary school, which also hosts Malawian children from the surrounding area, is one of the top schools in the country, with refugee children top of the class. Engaging the community Dzaleka camp is divided into five zones, each with their |
own leader. As we arrive, all the leaders are seated in the Camp administrator’s office, discussing the upcoming arrival of the refugees from Luwani. The leaders are from different countries - Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Somalia and the DRC – and as many women as men. The refugees themselves take an active role in the running of the camp. The community leaders have regular meetings with the camp administrator to discuss any problems and possible solutions in the camp. There are also various committees for issues such as HIV and AIDS prevention, gender development, gender based violence and a recreational committee that organises sports teams and events. “We have football and basketball teams. There are even organised games against different Malawian teams”, says Cecilia Banda, a Red Cross administrator in Dzaleka. She also thinks that the gender development committee is doing an admirable job. “They have been focussing on helping women get started with businesses. A group of women actually opened a restaurant in the camp recently.” Malawi’s refugee camps are set up as ordinary communities. That the camp institutions such as schools, hospitals and nurseries also serve the Malawian communities in proximity is a testament to that. The hospital in Dzaleka has one clinical officer, two clinical assistants and two nurses, but no qualified doctor. “The services are free for everybody but most of the patients are Malawian”, says Ms. Banda. It is estimated that around four percent of the Dzaleka inhabitants are HIV/Aids positive, much lower than the national average. Although the same institutions serve Malawi’s citizens and the refugees, their status is different. The refugees need permission to leave the camp. A new life The Malawian Police Force usually has a presence of four officers in Dzaleka. Ms. Banda expects their workload to increase significantly with the arrival of the refugees from Luwani “I expect some problems. We will probably see an increase in HIV and AIDS and possibly in gender based violence. There are limited resources to tackle the problems that might arise.” Ms. Banda does have strong opinions on the roots of social problems. “Most human rights abuses stem from alcohol and drug abuse. So these, along with idleness, are the problems we need to combat.” UNHCR seeks three different durable solutions for refugees in Malawi; voluntary repatriation, resettlement to a third country and local integration. In 2006, 59 Congolese, 35 Burundians and six Rwandans returned to their respective home countries. Six hundred refugees were resettled to various third countries - Norway, Australia, Sweden and Denmark. Local integration has, however been minimal, mainly due to the legal framework and a lack of resources. Roger, the Burundian barber, is not in doubt when asked which of the solutions he would prefer, “I dream of one day returning to my country”, he says. As we prepare to leave Dzaleka, we stop by at a school building on the edge of the camp. Inside, around twenty young refugees are studying English with the Canadian national flag in the background. I ask why they are studying under a foreign banner “We are leaving for Canada this September. To study at university”, two of the boys reply. “And start a new life”, adds another. The author, Jon Skaftason, recently completely his internship at UNDP. He was part of UN and Malawi government delegation that accompanied UN Resident Coordinator in Malawi, in June, to assess the movement of refugees from Luwani to Dzaleka. Since May, UNHCR with the support of UN agencies has been working round the clock to move over 3,000 refugees from Luwani Camp to Dzaleka Camp. The implications include new shelter, reducing the interruption of school, food distribution and health services. Luwani is located near the southern border with Mozambique, while Dzaleka is near the capital, Lilongwe, in the centre of the country. Visit www.unhcr.org to learn more about their refuges operations in Malawi and notes on the move. In marking the World Refugee Day this year, UNHCR highlighted the plight of refugees around the world, the courage it takes to be a refugee, as thousands displaced mainly by conflict search for a place to call home. |
Issue 1 2007