United Nations in Malawi

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Malawi:

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26 February 2021

African LDCs can achieve SDGs

The Africa Regional Review Meeting which Malawi hosted this week (22 to 26 February) has generated concrete ideas on how to accelerate sustainable development in least developed countries (LDCs). Speaking during the closing session of the meeting, which was held in preparation for the Fifth UN Conference on Least Developed Countries in Qatar next year, Malawi Vice President, Saulos Chilima, called on LDCs to improve on action to achieve agreed goals on sustainable development. “LDCs have to embrace structural transformation which entails the transitioning from agriculture to manufacturing; increasing innovations to utilise our abundant resources; and focusing on value creation,” said Chilima. He also said the international community should accelerate financial inclusion and access to resources to build resilience against shocks in LDCs. On the impact of COVID-19 in LDCs, Chilima said: “We are hopeful that we will be finding innovative ways to build back better, cleaner and stronger.” UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, said LDCs have the power to solve their challenges. “Building back better will be a challenge, but there is hope when people in countries work together,” said ‘Utoikamanu. “The pandemic also presents an opportunity to do things differently and accelerate true transformation, for example, transforming the digital divide into a digital bridge.” Speaking earlier during the closing session, Malawi Minister of Youth and Sports, Ulemu Msungama, briefed delegates on the Side Event on Youth and SDG Acceleration, which Malawi Government and the UN in Malawi co-hosted at the meeting on Tuesday (23 February). Msungama said the side event demonstrated that LDCs will not achieve sustainable development if the majority of their populations, including the youth, are not included in development processes. “Governments should meaningfully engage young people and provide a conducive environment for youth to participate at all levels of decision-making,” he said. “Governments should put in place deliberate systems and platforms that can strengthen and retain engagement, social contact, dialogue and trust with young people.” During the side event, UN Resident Coordinator, Maria Jose Torres, said youth action and voice are critical to acceleration of the SDG agenda in LDCs. “The only way to achieve the change that we need is through ensuring that youth are at the forefront of development initiatives in LDCs,” said Torres. “The UN is determined to tap into the creativity and potential of young people to advance sustainable development.” Over 900 delegates registered for the Africa Regional Review Meeting which had eight dialogue sessions on topics such as building peaceful, just and inclusive societies; mobilizing resources for sustainable development in African LDCs; and social and human development in African LDCs. The report of the Africa Regional Review Meeting will be submitted to the 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries in Doha, Qatar, in January 2022 to feed into the development of a new Programme of Action to accelerate sustainable development in LDCs.

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26 February 2021

The world is in crisis: Transforming LDCs is imperative

COVID-19. Climate change. Economic collapse. These crises are overlapping, existential and concurrent. And they herald great change, some of which is already upon us. COVID-19 has been the latest catastrophe for Africa’s economies, collapsing commodity prices, disrupting manufacturing and virtually killing off international tourism. The result has been a sharp reduction in GDP growth. Together with widening deficits, unsustainable debt, and a drop in Foreign Direct Investment and remittances, the effects of COVID-19 will jeopardize the progress of the Least Developed Countries in Africa towards sustainable development for years to come. The virus knows no borders, and so the vaccine itself must not be subject to nationalism or protectionism. But likewise, climate response plans must be cooperative, ambitious and fair. Economic recovery packages must focus on debt eradication and have the most vulnerable at their heart. This confluence of crises demands a new solidarity. 46 countries are designated as being the ‘least developed countries’ or LDCs - and 33 of these are in Africa. These countries, from Angola to Zambia, face multiple challenges, including weak economies and low exports – issues that have only got worse since the pandemic struck. All of these problems are compounded by other challenges like conflict, inequality and climate change. A high rate of urbanisation among African LDCs makes cities and urban centres increasingly vulnerable to the impact of disasters. Without strong and purposeful governance that aspires towards structural transformation and sustainable development, economic and social outcomes in these LDCs will remain weak. A major meeting will be held virtually in Malawi this month to help build an ambitious new programme for action for LDCs to build momentum and partnerships as the final decade of action for the 2030 agenda gathers pace. The meeting will assess how African LDCs and Haiti are achieving sustainable development, and agree recommendations to help them accelerate progress over the next decade. The meeting will also seek to strengthen support by the international community for the LDCs. The outcome of the African Regional Review will lay out plans for a renewed partnership for sustainable development between the LDCs and their development partners. That new partnership will be agreed at the Fifth United Nations Conference on the LDCs – known as LDC5 – a major landmark in the efforts of LDCs and their partners to overcome core challenges, including the COVID crisis. Hosted by Qatar and taking place in early 2022, decisions made by world leaders at LDC5 will have the potential to transform the lives of no less than a billion of the world’s most vulnerable people. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the African Regional Review meeting will be held online and bring together ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development from across the continent. They will be joined by representatives from development partner nations, international and regional organisations, the private sector, academia and civil society. The meeting is based on a bottom-up approach to preparing for LDC5 that ensures the needs of LDCs are clarified and heard. African LDCs have already completed national reviews on development progress and these will be the main inputs for the regional meeting. LDC5 will represent a reaffirmation of the global commitment to the special needs of LDCs at this critical time. With the COVID crisis still in full flame, climate change untamed and a new economic and debt crisis rolling around the world, the stakes for the conference could not be higher. And so, with a year to go, the preparatory process is already well underway. It is not hyperbolic to suggest we are facing a difficult set of complex problems like humanity never has before. And, as is too often the case, it is the weakest economies and the most vulnerable countries that are facing the effects most. It is precisely because of the scale of our problems that we must be honest with ourselves, and each other. We have the capacity to handle everything ahead of us – we just need the will. We have great multilateral systems of cooperation – we just need to invest in them. And we have incredible energy and activism, especially from our youth – we just need to listen to what they say. The pandemic has erected physical borders between us, and these will be temporarily. We must not let it erect new ideological or political barriers, which will be far longer lasting. Great change seems inevitable and just over the horizon. How we meet that change will not only say a lot about the systems we have built but will set the next course for humanity. Authored by the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), which supports groups of vulnerable countries in the United Nations System.

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07 March 2023

FROM POTENTIAL TO PROSPERITY

Globally, we are at a critical moment in history, facing growing crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate disruption, environmental degradation, conflicts, and the consequent global economic crisis along with rising inequalities. But we also have an enormous opportunity to transform the global economy and usher in an era of greater wellbeing and prosperity. The world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Malawi included, are in a race against time to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The remaining years need to usher in a new global partnership to ensure these 46 countries transform their economies and achieve accelerated and sustained social-economic development. The Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to accelerate sustainable development in the places where international assistance is needed the most and to tap the full potential of the LDCs helping them make progress on the road to prosperity. The LDC 5 is scheduled to take place in Doha-Qatar from 5th-9th March 2023 under the leadership of the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS). Hosted under the theme “From Potential to Prosperity,” the LDC5 conference will bring together world leaders, the private sector, the civil society, parliamentarians, and young people to advance new ideas and raise new pledges of support and spur delivery on agreed commitments through the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA). This will be one of the biggest gatherings of world leaders in 2023, aiming to present an ideal opportunity to accelerate sustainable development and tap into the full potential of the LDCs. The conference offers a platform to lift the world’s least developed nations, including Malawi, out of poverty by building momentum around the implementation of the Doha Programme of Action. Discussions will focus on key issues facing LDCs including climate change, financing for development, sustainable energy, resilience building, gender, youth empowerment, innovation and digitalization, trade, south-south cooperation, and knowledge sharing. For Malawi, the DPoA systematically aligns with the Malawi 2063 and the desire to be an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant industrialized upper-middle-income country by the year 2063. It offers a pathway to strengthen national efforts to eradicate poverty and build capacity to leave no one behind; leverage the power of science, technology, and innovation to fight against vulnerabilities; support structural transformation as a driver of prosperity; enhance international trade and regional integration; address climate change, and environmental degradation among others. Malawi is scheduled to handover the chair of the LDCs after completion of its tenure. One of the major milestones for the country during its tenure was overseeing the successful review of the 2011 -2020 Istanbul Programme of Action and the development and adoption of the DPoA. Malawi’s participation at the LDC5 Conference and subsequent implementation of the DPoA is expected to help the country to accelerate delivery of the Malawi 2063 first 10-year implementation plan (MIP-1) by improving economic infrastructure to promote exports and take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), spur foreign direct investments, improve human capital productivity, promote vibrancy and dynamism of the private sector to graduate the country to middle-income status, and promote climate change management and ecosystem conservation. As highlighted by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres ‘’the Doha Programme of Action reminds us that global recovery depends on LDCs getting the support they need.” The UN in Malawi is therefore committed to support the Government of Malawi and all stakeholders to accelerate achievement of Malawi 2063, the SDGs and realise Malawi’s vision of an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant industrialized upper-middle-income country by the year 2063 through this Programme of Action.

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02 March 2023

In the words of Rajab Simeon “It is shocking to realize how we normalized violence against women and girls,

Rajab Simeon is from Mwapata village, Traditional Authority Mlomba in the southern Malawi district of Machinga. Rajab learnt how to mobilize men and boys for gender equality using the HeForShe Barbershop toolbox through the EU-funded Spotlight Initiative. He formed a forum where boys and men in his local football team can become agents of change against gender inequality and violence against women and girls. “I grew up seeing child marriages and different types of gender-based violence practiced by my community without knowing their negative consequences. Girls were treated differently and couldn’t go to school. It was normal for me to see a man beating up his wife for serving him cold food. My own mother had gotten married at the age of 16, so early marriages were not strange. Through HeForShe dialogues arranged by the Spotlight Initiative, I now better understand gender inequality and my role in changing harmful social norms. The trainings were eye-opening as I gained understanding on different types of sexual related gender-based violence that prompted me to establish a football barbershop group for Chirwa Football Club. I am a football player for Chirwa FC and for every football match that we have, we do meet after the football match and discuss ways of treating women and girls in the homesteads and community well. We encourage each other to take responsibility for our actions, we hold other men accountable, and teach boys in the junior football team healthy, hon-violent behavior. Our group started with 21 members who meet after every football match. I encourage more men and boys to participate in the gender equality conversation and be part of the solution”. Rajab is one of the male champions scaling up promotion of positive masculinities for male engagement on EVAWG and SRHR. The male champions are raising awareness on positivity masculinity/ inequalities (GBV) through different community awareness mediums. UN Women is working with an implementing partner, Creative Centre for Community Mobilization (CRECCOM) through the Spotlight Initiative funded by European Union.

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19 January 2023

UN INTENSIFIES EFFORTS TO CURB CHOLERA OUTBREAK

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It takes between 12 hours and 5 days for a person to show symptoms after ingesting contaminated food or water. Cholera affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated. Cholera transmission is closely linked to inadequate access to clean water and sanitation facilities. Typical at-risk areas include peri-urban slums, and camps for internally displaced persons or refugees, where minimum requirements of clean water and sanitation are not met. Cholera is rampant in Malawi with seasonal outbreaks reported during the wet season. Since 1998, cholera cases have been reported in Malawi with significant morbidity and mortality in affected populations, especially in the southern region, which is low-lying, flat, and prone to flooding during the rainy season. The current outbreak, which started in March 2022 has affected all 29 districts of Malawi and represents the largest outbreak reported in the country in the past ten years Since the onset of the outbreak last March, over 23,000 cholera cases have been recorded with nearly 800 preventable deaths. Last month alone, authorities reported over 7,000 new cases and nearly 300 deaths. As all 29 districts of the country have been affected, the government declared a public health emergency on December 5 2022. The government-led presidential task force on cholera decided to delay the opening of schools in the country’s two biggest cities, which affected nearly 1 million children. But learners returned to class on 17 January. In response to the situation, the UN team in Malawi, led by Resident Coordinator Rebecca Adda-Dontoh, is intensifying its joint support for national authorities as the country is facing the worst cholera outbreak in two decades. To avoid students falling further behind after years of COVID interruptions, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is ensuring Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities are in place in schools, while World Food Programme (WFP) has distributed hygiene items, reaching over 600,000 learners. UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO) are furthermore working with health authorities to train health care workers on cholera case management. They also provided nearly 60 urgently needed staff, 438,000 Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) doses and 1,324,400 water purification tablets. Additionally, both UN entities supported the national Oral Cholera Vaccination campaign, which delivered 2.9 million doses to at risk populations. UNICEF has just handed over $300,000 in further life-saving supplies, such as Acute Watery Diarrheal kits, tents and antibiotics, which will be distributed to cholera treatment centres immediately. Despite the continuing efforts in the national cholera outbreak response, and the need to intensify efforts, significant gaps exist. This includes the urgent need to strengthen surveillance system for early detection and management; increase quality case management at cholera treatment units; provide critical supplies required to manage cholera cases and for water treatment, personal hygiene and water storage at the household level; increase timely community engagement and dissemination of communications around cholera prevention, and positive hygiene practices. The UN is therefore, appealing to partners and donors for additional funds and support to address these challenges and enable them to better support the Government in its efforts to contain the outbreak.

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25 July 2022

Black Sea grain exports deal ‘a beacon of hope’ amid Ukraine war - Guterres

The UN plan, which also paves the way for Russian food and fertilizer to reach global markets, will help to stabilize spiralling food prices worldwide and stave off famine, affecting millions. Russian and Ukrainian Ministers signed the Black Sea Grain Initiative, facing each other at opposite ends of the table, while the Secretary-General and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sat in the centre. Hope and relief “Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea,” the UN chief said, speaking prior to the signing. “A beacon of hope – a beacon of possibility – a beacon of relief -- in a world that needs it more than ever.” Mr. Guterres thanked President Erdogan and his government for facilitating the talks that led to the deal. He commended the Russian and Ukrainian representatives for putting aside their differences in the common interests of humanity. “The question has not been what is good for one side or the other,” he said. “The focus has been on what matters most for the people of our world. And let there be no doubt – this is an agreement for the world.” Ukraine is among the world’s leading grain exporters, supplying more than 45 million tonnes annually to the global market, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The Russian invasion, which began on 24 February, has sparked record food and fuel prices, as well as supply chain issues, with mountains of grain stocks stuck in silos. In addition to stabilizing global food prices, the agreement “will bring relief for developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people on the edge of famine,” said Mr. Guterres. “Since the war started, I have been highlighting that there is no solution to the global food crisis without ensuring full global access to Ukraine’s food products and Russian food and fertilizer.” A long road The initiative specifically allows for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea – Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The Secretary-General also announced the establishment of a Joint Coordination Centre to monitor implementation. It will be hosted in Istanbul and will include representatives from Ukraine, Russia and Türkiye. Inspection teams will monitor the onloading of grain at the three ports. Ukrainian pilot vessels will guide the ships through the Black Sea, which is mined, after which they will head out through the Bosphorus Strait along an agreed corridor. Ships going into the ports also will be inspected. Mr. Guterres acknowledged “the long road” and weeks of around-the clock negotiations leading up to the landmark agreement. In April, the Secretary-General met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to propose a plan. The UN has been "working every day since", he said. Two UN Task Forces were established in parallel on the talks - one focused on the shipment of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, which was led by UN humanitarian affairs chief Martin Griffiths, and the other on facilitating access of Russian food and fertilizers, headed by Rebecca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the UN trade and development body, UNCTAD. Beacon for peace Mr. Guterres pledged the UN’s full commitment to the agreement, and urged all sides to do the same. “This is an unprecedented agreement between two parties engaged in bloody conflict. But that conflict continues,” he said, noting that people are dying every day as the fighting rages. “The beacon of hope on the Black Sea is shining bright today, thanks to the collective efforts of so many. In these trying and turbulent times for the region and our globe, let that beacon guide the way towards easing human suffering and securing peace.”

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agreement on the safe transportation of grain and foodstuffs

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30 March 2022

Peace needs stronger institutions

On 22 March 2022, Malawi’s Parliament chalked a milestone by passing the Peace and Unity Bill. Albeit debate on the necessity of the bill, Parliament passed the bill that relates to an essential feature of democracy and sustainable development: peace. The bill provides for establishment of a legislative framework for promoting peace and unity in Malawi in a coordinated, collaborative and structured manner in order to achieve political prosperity and sustainable socio-economic development. The bill is a culmination of extensive stakeholder consultations dating back to 2013 that also birthed the National Peace Policy adopted by the government in August 2017. Is the Peace and Unity Bill necessary? This is the burning question that has been hovering around for months since the draft of the bill was released. Malawi has been a peaceful and stable country for many decades. But experience teaches us that the human family can never rest on its laurels when it comes to safeguarding peace and stability, and making them more permanent features of a democratic society. Since 1964, Malawi has relied on non-violent and traditional means of resolving disputes, managing conflicts and maintaining peace. The country’s enviable record of holding at least five mainly peaceful general elections, and three peaceful transfers of power between opposing political parties makes Malawi a shining example in the region and globally. For Malawi to keep up with this good tradition, Malawi’s mechanisms for resolving differences and conflicts need to be stronger, more inclusive and deeply entrenched for the country to continue enjoying long-term stability and lasting peace. This is why the United Nations welcomes Malawi Parliament’s passing of the Peace and Unity Bill that builds on the National Peace Policy adopted four years ago. As alluded to in the policy, some peace issues require close attention by a Peace and Unity Commission that the bill proposes to establish. These include strengthening legal and policy frameworks for dialogue, addressing political patronage, patrimonialism, political tensions, advancing respect for cultural and religious diversity, ensuring equal access to development and opportunities, including for women and youth, and many more. Conflict prevention is increasingly getting recognized as a rational and cost-effective strategy for countries that face risks of violence. The efforts to enact a law on peace and unity, therefore, give Malawi leverage to build national capacities for conflict prevention where homegrown solutions are dominant discourses in peacebuilding. Efforts to create national institutions like the Peace and Unity Commission also demonstrate Malawi’s commitment to international and regional agreements which underline the need for coordination in peacebuilding and the establishment of national institutions for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which encourages strengthening of national institutions at all levels to prevent violence and promote peace under SDG16. As it has been demonstrated in countries such as Ghana, a Malawi Peace and Unity Commission would offer a platform for consultation and cooperation among main stakeholders to promote reconciliation, tolerance, trust and confidence-building, mediation, and dialogue. Ghana’s National Peace Council has been responsive to a wide range of challenges and has mediated or facilitated dialogues on diverse issues. The proposed Malawi Peace and Unity Commission promises to be a fundamental structure that would foster collaborative partnerships for peacebuilding and conflict transformation across the government, civil society, and different actors to sustain peace in Malawi. Sustaining a resilient and peaceful Malawi requires having in place a functional structure that builds constructive social relationships and institutions to resolve conflicts through dialogue. Such a mechanism enables a deeper understanding of how and where tensions may arise and creates room for effective response before tensions erupt into violent conflicts. Peace benefits everyone, and needs stronger institutions to protect and nurture it by continuously addressing all root causes and drivers of tensions and conflicts. Written by Mr. Shigeki Komatsubara The author is the UN Resident Coordinator (ad interim) and UNDP Resident Representative in Malawi.

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Press Release

19 March 2023

MALAWI: UN RELEASES US$5.5 MILLION TO ASSIST COMMUNITIES RAVAGED BY FLOODS

(Lilongwe, 19 March 2023): The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Martin Griffiths, has released US$5.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to assist people affected by the Tropical Cyclone Freddy weather system in Malawi, as the devastating toll of floods and mudslides in the country’s Southern Region continues to rise. Speaking after visiting flood-affected areas on 16 March, the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Malawi, Ms. Rebecca Adda-Dontoh, said: “The destruction and suffering that I witnessed in southern Malawi is the human face of the global climate crisis. The people I met with—many of whom have lost their homes and loved ones—have done nothing to cause this crisis. We, as the United Nations, stand in full solidarity with the people of Malawi at this tragic time and we call on the international community to do the same.” Nearly 363,000 people are displaced and sheltering in over 500 camps across flood-affected areas of Malawi, and the death toll has risen to 447, with at least 282 people still missing, according to authorities on 18 March. Some 75,000 hectares of cropland has been flooded, just as farmers were about to harvest the only crop of the year. These figures are expected to rise in the days ahead as further information becomes available, especially in areas where people remain trapped by the flood waters and full information is not yet available. The Government of Malawi is leading the response, with support from humanitarian partners. More than 1,500 people have been rescued from isolated locations and, as flood waters begin to subside, assistance is being dispatched to the hardest-hit districts. “People are traumatized, and many have lost their homes, their belongings and their livelihoods,” said Ms. Adda-Dontoh. “In support of the Government-led response, through this CERF grant, we will aim to assist those who have been hardest-hit with life-saving and life-sustaining assistance, including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), shelter and vital non-food items, food, healthcare and prevention of gender-based violence and child protection risks.“ Southern Malawi was affected after Tropical Cyclone Freddy made its second landfall in Mozambique on 11 March and moved over land as a tropical depression, bringing torrential rainfall, devastating floods and mudslides to Malawi from 12 March. Malawi is also still facing its deadliest cholera outbreak in recent history, and there is a high risk that the disease could spread in flood-affected areas

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Press Release

14 March 2023

UN MALAWI CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION TO SUPPORT PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE TROPICAL CYCLONE FREDDY

(Lilongwe, 14 March 2023) In the wake of the declaration of a State of Disaster in the Southern Region by the President of the Republic of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, the United Nations in Malawi is calling for urgent coordinated support for the people impacted by the destruction caused by Tropical Cyclone Freddy. Tropical Cyclone Freddy has created an unprecedented crisis in Malawi. The United Nations commends the Government of Malawi for its leadership of preparedness and response measures and calls upon partners to step up efforts to assist people in the districts most affected by the cyclone. The UN has been rapidly mobilising support to address immediate needs pending a multi-sectoral assessment. Technical and financial support provided by the United Nations to establish an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been critical in strengthening humanitarian coordination among Government, NGO and development partners. Furthermore, several UN Agencies have deployed personnel to the affected areas to support coordination of response and assessment efforts in information management and logistics. UN is providing critical logistical support, including transportation for search and rescue operations as well as to ferry humanitarian workers, equipment and supplies to communities that have been cut off by flooding and landslides, as well as medical supplies and equipment to improve water and sanitation infrastructure to address immediate health needs, including preventing the spread of Cholera. Protection of the most vulnerable populations and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse remain central to the work of the UN, including in humanitarian response. To this end, UN Agencies are providing food and non-food items such as shelter materials, tents and dignity kits to displaced people. The UN stands with the people of Malawi and encourages national authorities, civil society, the private sector, political parties, the media, traditional leaders and religious leaders to ensure that at all times the rights and dignity of affected populations are respected. The longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, according to the World Meteorological Organisation, Freddy has left a trail of destruction and continues to cause extensive damage and loss of lives from torrential rains and strong winds in ten Districts, namely Nsanje, Chikwawa, Mulanje, Thyolo, Phalombe, Chiradzulu, Mwanza, Blantyre, Zomba and Neno. Over the past three days, Cyclone Freddy has claimed the lives of more than 190 people and injured dozens more overstretching the health sector that is already overwhelmed by the worst Cholera outbreak in two decades. The full extent of the impact of the cyclone will be known when a multi-sectoral assessment is conducted. The United Nations extends sincere condolences to the people of Malawi who have lost loved ones and property. Ms. Rebecca Adda-Dontoh United Nations Resident Coordinator in Malawi ******************************************** Currently, 24 agencies and specialized organizations of the United Nations are active in Malawi. Through its work, the UN is contributing to ensuring a better life for the people of Malawi. For more information, contact: Associate Communications Officer in the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, Bennet Phunyanya on bennet.phunyanya@one.un.org or +265884307026

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Press Release

20 February 2023

The United Nations and Humanitarian Partners Call for $45.3 Million to Provide Life Saving Aid to People Devastated by the Cholera Outbreak in Malawi

(Lilongwe, 20 February 2023): The United Nations and humanitarian partners in Malawi today launched a Flash Appeal to assist 4 million people, including 56,000 refugees and asylum seekers, who have been hardest-hit by, and are at highest-risk of, cholera, in support of the Government-led response. The appeal—which calls for US$45.3 million for the next five months—comes as the numbers of cholera cases and deaths in Malawi have increased exponentially since the beginning of January 2023, worsening what is already the deadliest cholera outbreak in the country’s history. “Despite all the efforts taken since the first cholera case was reported in Malawi nearly one year ago, the situation remains of grave concern. Every day, the number of cases increases, and more people die,” said the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Malawi, Rebecca Adda-Dontoh. “However, the good news is that, while cholera is highly transmissible, it is also easily treatable when cases are caught early and preventable when communities have access to clean water and good sanitation.” The Malawi Cholera Flash Appeal—which is launched to coincide with Government of Malawi’s Cholera campaign—aims to address the most immediate needs of people impacted by the outbreak through an integrated response that brings together health and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), while ensuring communities are engaged, prepared and supported to respond to and reduce cholera. Acknowledging that the outbreak has taken a devastating toll on the hardest-hit communities, the Flash Appeal also calls for support to essential health, nutrition, education and protection services in affected and high-risk locations. Remarking at the launch of the Flash Appeal, Ms. Adda-Dontoh said, “I had the privilege of joining His Excellency President Chakwera and Honourable Minister of Health in visiting three cholera treatment centres in Lilongwe last week, where I spoke with health-care workers who requested more support to treat the endless flow of patients they are receiving. When left untreated, cholera can kill in less than twelve hours, but with simple IV fluids, most patients are rapidly on the road to recovery. No one should die of cholera in 2023 and the world can, and must, step-up to help Malawians in their time of need.” The current cholera outbreak, which started in March 2022, has affected all 29 districts of Malawi and is the largest outbreak in the country in the past two decades. The number of cases increased dramatically at the start of the rainy season in November 2022 and, as of 18 February 2023, nearly 45,000 cases had been reported, including nearly 1,450 deaths. Experts anticipate that, unless urgent, intensified action is taken to scale-up the response, between 64,000 and 100,000 cases could be reported in the next three months. The UN and its partners in Malawi urgently call on donors to fund the Flash Appeal and enable them to work swiftly in support of the Government-led response to contain the outbreak and prevent further, avoidable, loss of life. For more information, please contact: Malawi Resident Coordinator’s Office, Bennet Phunyanya, bennet.phunyanya@one.un.org OCHA Regional Office for Southern and Eastern Africa, Guiomar Pau Sole, pausole@un.or

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Press Release

09 December 2022

UNITING THE WORLD AGAINST CORRUPTION FOR DEVELOPMENT, PEACE, AND SECURITY

Lilongwe – 9 December each year marks the commemoration of International Day against corruption. This year’s commemoration marks the twentieth anniversary of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). The theme for this year’s commemoration is ‘Uniting the World Against Corruption for Development, Peace and Security’ and is translated locally as ‘Fight Corruption, Protect Malawi’s future.’ The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development cannot be realised without transparent, accountable, and ethical public institutions. The SDGs make a direct link between the negative impact of corruption on the attainment of peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. SDG 16 and its targets to reduce bribery, strengthen institutions, and increase access to information are not only valuable aspirations, but they are also necessary conditions for the achievement of all 17 goals as reflected in this year’s theme showing the link between anti-corruption and peace, security, and development. Malawi continues to face significant challenges in many sectors of its development – challenges that threaten its collective prosperity and social cohesion. The plague of corruption is intertwined in most of them. Corruption has negative impacts on every aspect of society and is profoundly intertwined with social and economic development and undermines democratic institutions, the rule of law and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Thus ‘Fight corruption and Protect Malawi’s future’. The UN commends the Government of Malawi for prioritising the fight against corruption and drawing attention to the negative impacts of corruption and urges the Government to continue to do more to empower anti-corruption institutions and strengthen accountability, transparency and ethics systems and mechanisms in public institutions. The UN commends the Anti-Corruption Bureau and its Director-General for bringing renewed drive and energy to the fight against corruption and encourages Malawians to stand and support the ACB to ensure it is successful in the fight against corruption. The UN also commends civil society, the media, and Malawians for taking an active stand against corruption. Tackling corruption is the right and responsibility of everyone, and only through cooperation and the involvement of each and every person and institution can Malawi overcome the negative impact of corruption. We all have a role to play in uniting against corruption. ……………………………………………… Currently, there are more than 20 Agencies and specialized organizations of the United Nations active in Malawi which, through their work, contribute to ensuring a better life for the people of Malawi. For more information, contact: Associate Communications Officer in the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, Bennet Phunyanya on bennet.phunyanya@one.un.org or +265884307026

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Press Release

28 November 2022

UNHCR urges Malawi authorities to reconsider relocation decision

Lilongwe, 25 November 2022 - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, deeply regrets the decision taken by the Malawi government on Thursday 24 November to proceed with the execution of its directive to relocate refugees living in rural and urban centres across the country, back to Dzaleka camp. The refugee agency is urging the authorities to reconsider its decision which will have disastrous consequences on many refugee lives.
Some 8,000 refugees living in rural and urban locations are expected to return to the already congested Dzaleka camp, which presently accommodates 56,425 refugees. Dzaleka was originally established to accommodate up to 12,000 refugees. Relocating several thousands refugees back to the camp will have dire consequences on the provision of critical basic services such as health services, education, and protection programmes. “The relocation means that children will have to leave their schools and breadwinners to abandon their employment or small businesses and return to a camp where they will be dependent on humanitarian assistance,” says KOUAME Cyr Modeste, UNHCR’s Representative in Malawi. UNHCR is also very concerned about the extremely tight deadlines given to refugees for their relocation. Refugees living in rural areas have been given until 30 November 2022 and those living in urban locations until 1 February 2023 to relocate to Dzaleka camp. While UNHCR applauds the government’s offer of Luwani settlement as an alternative to Dzaleka camp, time and significant financial resources are needed to make it habitable with the installation of basic services such as water, sanitation, repairs to roads and other facilities. UNHCR and its partners are fundraising to develop the settlement even as the refugee agency faces critical funding challenges to its operations globally. Critical underfunding is already impacting current service provision to refugees and asylum seekers in Malawi. As of 31 October 2022, UNHCR had only received 29 percent of the USD 22.9 million required to adequately support refugees and asylum-seekers this year alone, in Malawi. This has crippled UNHCR’s ability to meet the protection and livelihood needs of the people it serves. Relocating self-sufficient and productive refugees and asylum-seekers to Dzaleka will not only lead to loss of livelihood but will compel them to rely on humanitarian agencies which are all facing critical funding shortfalls. Therefore, UNHCR appeals to the Government of Malawi to allow refugee families to remain in rural or urban settings where they can continue their education, be employed and operate their small businesses. Alternatively, UNHCR appeals to the Government for the time required to ensure essential services are in place before relocating refugees to Luwani settlement. UNHCR appreciates the Government of Malawi’s efforts to ensure the protection, safety and security of all refugees and asylum-seekers.

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