On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Manase Madia, 50, shows his Mozambican identity card. Once a sign of pride, he does not know what to believe in any more. Over the past few weeks he has seen houses being burned down, and shops and businesses looted, including his own. He now fears for his family, which has scattered in fear.
At a community ground where officials are processing new arrivals before being transferred to a shelter, Madia is one of about 13,000 people who have crossed into Malawi in the past two months, seeking refuge from post-election violence in Mozambique. The arrival of the refugees, albeit in smaller numbers, is reminiscent for people here of the civil war when almost a million Mozambicans sought refuge in the neighbouring southern African nation in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Protests and violent uprisings have continued in Mozambique since the 11 October election, which saw Daniel Chapo, the candidate for the ruling Frelimo party, declared the winner over Venâncio Mondlane, of the opposition Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique.
In December, Mozambique’s constitutional council upheld the earlier decision, sparking fresh violence. While political members were targeted initially, the protests have metamorphosed into criminality and looting with businesspeople and those who are well off, like Madia, being targeted by marauding gangs.
Madia, who hid in the bush after being tipped off that he was a target, managed to leave the country on a motorbike with his wife and one of his 12 children. He says the violence has disturbed thousands of families in his community and he believes people are being targeted for their money or possessions, no matter what their ideological or political leaning.
“At first it was party members who were getting their houses broken into,” he says. “Then some people informed me that I was being targeted and people were planning to come during the evening. They came in hundreds in our community carrying pangas [machetes] and were signalling by whistling while shouting the name of the opposition leader. I fuelled my motorcycle and whisked my family away to my relatives,” says Madia, whose shop was destroyed, and goats and sheep stolen.
He says some of his relatives and adult children are still hiding in the bush without any way to travel to safety. He knows of many in his hometown of Morrumbala in a similar predicament, he adds.
“My brother called me to say the situation has worsened and we should not think about returning anytime soon,” he says. “The people doing violence are our neighbours and they know us very well.”
The Guardian spoke to a dozen people who said how they had made the 30-mile (50km) journey to Malawi with just the clothes on their back and with no food or possessions.
Malawians have been welcoming the refugees, with whom many share a language, despite the country battling one of the worst food shortages in its history after a severe drought. The president has declared a state of disaster and called for international support.
Malawi, a landlocked country, depends on Mozambique’s ports for fuel. The violence and roadblocks further exacerbated fuel shortages, with people having to camp out and sleep in queues at petrol stations.
The district council – with support from Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs and charities such as the UN refugee agency, UNCHR – is erecting tents to host the thousands of refugees who are now at three centres, including one at a primary school.
At one of the centres, Judith Fukizi, who works for Restoring Family Links, an International Red Cross initiative, is busy making calls, helping to locate members of the same family who have become separated or fled to different areas.
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“The ones that approached us said they fled to different locations. Others were attacked at night and they don’t know where their relatives fled. It’s mostly children being separated from their parents.
“The decision of who joins who lies with the people. Some just want to know the welfare and whereabouts of their loved ones,” Fukizi says.
Hilda Katema Kausiwa, operations manager in the refugee department at Malawi’s Ministry of Homeland Security, says they are carrying out a joint assessment with UN agencies and the International Red Cross after receiving reports of refugees arriving due to political conflicts.
“We are looking into issues of hygiene and sanitation where these people are camping. We have also seen some health concerns because other people are coming with health issues.
“We have monitored a number of children who are malnutritioned, so we are working with stakeholders and the district health team to enhance health-screening and ensure all the persons of concern have access to health facilities,” she says, while commending the chiefs and local people who had generously received the refugees.
About 46 hectares (113 acres) of land have been granted to build a settlement and facilities for the refugees. UNHCR, the Red Cross and other organisations have sent tents.
Kausiwa said: “So far, the response has been good. But we are still advocating for additional resources to ensure that we meet the needs of this population. There are issues of food that are critical. As the population continues to grow, we need continued support.
“We know that the times are hard, but we just want to ensure those that we register or screen are genuine asylum seekers that are fleeing persecution and that they should get the relevant support.
“We’re also appealing for continued monitoring of the points of entry to enhance security,” she says, adding they are also planning for public health emergencies, such as mpox.
Mike Dansa, chair of Nsanje civil society organisations, says they are engaged in humanitarian aid, disaster response, food security and health initiatives.
“The influx of asylum seekers is putting significant pressure on local resources and services,” he says. “We are advocating for comprehensive support that addresses not only the basic needs of displaced individuals but also the wellbeing of the host communities who have shown incredible solidarity during these challenging times.
“This situation highlights the critical need for strengthened humanitarian systems, increased resource allocation and sustainable interventions to address the immediate and long-term impacts of displacement,” he adds.
