WFP to Cut Food Assistance for More Than 30,000 Refugees in Malawi Amid Funding Shortfall

November 14, 2026 | By Semahegn Nigatu

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will withdraw food assistance from more than 30,000 refugees in Malawi from November, as funding shortages force the agency to restrict support to the most vulnerable households in one of the country's largest refugee settlements.

The agency will provide monthly cash assistance of eight US dollars per person to 35,000 refugees at Dzaleka camp, which hosts more than 65,000 people. The payments will cover only half of their food needs, down from assistance that previously covered up to 75 percent.

The shift follows a vulnerability assessment that identified households facing the greatest risks of food insecurity, malnutrition and protection concerns. The eligibility criteria were developed through consultations involving WFP, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), the Malawian government and refugee representatives.

The decision marks a further contraction of humanitarian assistance at the camp, where WFP has supported refugees since 2022. Those excluded from the new assistance programme will retain their refugee status and associated rights, but will no longer receive food assistance through the programme.

Hyoung-Joon Lim, WFP's representative and country director in Malawi, said declining funding had forced the agency to move beyond reducing food rations to excluding some households altogether, including families with limited or no means of earning a living.

WFP estimates that it needs 7.2 million US dollars to restore full food rations for the 35,000 refugees selected for assistance through April 2027.

The funding gap comes as humanitarian agencies face difficult choices over the allocation of increasingly limited resources. Even among those who qualify for continued assistance, the reduced payments will leave households needing to find additional means to meet their food requirements.

UNHCR said the funding constraints were forcing difficult decisions despite humanitarian and protection needs remaining unchanged. Helen Mebrahtu, its acting multi-country office representative for Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, said the agency would work with the government and WFP to monitor the effects of the changes and respond to emerging protection risks.

The two UN agencies and the Malawian government said they would strengthen complaints and feedback mechanisms, protection referrals and monitoring of both assisted and non-assisted households. They also pledged to continue promoting refugee self-reliance and socio-economic inclusion.

General Ignacio Maulana (retired), Malawi's commissioner for refugees at the Ministry of Homeland Security, said the government remained committed to protecting people fleeing conflict and persecution, adding that it was working with humanitarian partners to manage the situation.

The funding requirement of 7.2 million US dollars would restore full rations for the 35,000 refugees selected under the new vulnerability-based system, but WFP's announcement did not specify the additional resources needed to resume assistance for the wider population at Dzaleka.

Source: FSX Business News