By Previous Mwakifuna
Nsanje, February 14, Mana: Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Jean Sendeza in the week visited Nyamithuthu camp in Nsanje to appreciate welfare of Mozambican asylum seekers and urged Nsanje District Council to speed up food distribution to asylum seekers to meet their food and nutritional needs.
The minister’s tour came after reports that the camps had a short supply of food to cater for the increasing number of asylum seekers coming in from Mozambique.
“The ministry is aware of the issues affecting the asylum seekers. The council needs to make their logistics faster to cut the needs of the camps especially food” Sendeza added.
Sendeza further commended Nsanje District Council and its various partners for providing support to the asylum seekers soon after they arrived in the district, saying, “Providing support to the asylum seekers is a national and humanitarian duty,”
Nsanje District Commissioner, Dominic Mwandira said the council will engage with relevant partners to speed up food distribution.
The district Commissioner therefore hailed all partners for their various support towards the Mozambican asylum seekers.
In his remarks, Nyamithuthu camp chairperson, Jasi Daster said the asylum seekers appreciate support from Nsanje Council and partners though there was a need to speed up food supply,
“We are grateful for what government and its partners are doing so far. Food is another issue that needs to be investigated,” he added.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) Representative to Malawi, Kwame Modeste also applauded the Malawi Government for being accommodative and supportive to the Mozambican asylum seekers.
“Our priority is to support Malawi to protect these asylum seekers until they return home,” Kwame added.
Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Refugees in Malawi, Ivy Chihana, hailed the UNHCR for supporting government and others partnering in caring for refugees and asylum in campos, citing the Malawi Red Cross Society and World Food Programme’s humanitarian support.
There are more than 7,000 asylum seekers in Nsanje District.
