Malawi’s Catholic Bishops Vow to Continue Fight for IDPs’ Rights “until they get land for their permanent residence”

The ECM December 12 published indicates that Nthunduwala camp, situated 70 kilometers west of Kasungu Boma, houses over 127 households, which comprise some 380 individuals.

The families became homeless in the mid-1990s after being evicted from tobacco estates, where they worked and lived as tenants. Attempts to settle in Zambia and along the western side of Kasungu National Park did not work; they were forced to relocate to Nthunduwala in 2012.

The Malawian IDPs at Nthunduwala camp, who had reportedly been promised a temporary stay of one week have now been there for 12 years and counting, awaiting permanent resettlement.

In the December 12 ECM report, the Deputy Secretary General of Malawi’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference urges the government to live up to “its word”, protracted as it is. 

“It is high time the government lived up to its word to allocate the families' land for permanent residence,” Fr. Sikwese said, and emphasized, “We don’t need to have residents on their land. These are Malawians and the government has a duty and responsibility to take care of them.”

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At the humanitarian aid distribution event, CADECOM reached out 220 households with items under a Food Crisis Project in a partnership with Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Italiana. The initiative estimated at K724 million (US$,415,600.00) covered 11 Malawian districts, according to the December 12 ECM report. 

At the relief distribution event, the National Coordinator of CADECOM, Chimwemwe Sakunda, is said to have reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to assisting vulnerable households. 

Ms. Sakunda highlighted the broader context of natural disasters in Malawi, including the effects of El Niño, which prompted the country’s President to declare a State of Disaster earlier in March.

On his part, the chairperson of Nthunduwala camp, Stanley Lyson Nkhoma, is said to have acknowledged with appreciation the Catholic Church’s support, which he said extends beyond material aid to include spiritual guidance.

Stanley went on to appeal for further assistance. Referring to the limitations of the IDPs, he said, “We don’t have fields to farm. This makes us more vulnerable because we have to wait for relief items to survive.”