Kasasile villagers displaced by MDF soldiers appeal for urgent food support
More than 1,700 people who were displaced from their homes by Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers at Kasasile in Nkhata Bay District are in desperate need of food and other essential relief items.
According to Village Head Mtungambera, the affected families have been struggling to survive since their eviction, relying mainly on handouts from well-wishers and organisations. He said the only food assistance they received from the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) in June this year was far from enough to sustain them.
“My people are suffering. They only got some rations in June, but that is long gone. Right now, they have nothing. Most of them are living in churches, reduced to beggars, depending on whatever little comes from donations,” said Mtungambera.
The villagers had their homes and property destroyed by the MDF, which accused them of illegally encroaching on land designated for the army’s firing range. Some of the affected families, however, claim they have lived in the area for more than four decades.
Mtungambera stressed that while negotiations over the land dispute are ongoing, authorities must prioritise the welfare of the displaced communities.
“These are human beings with children, the elderly, and the sick. While waiting for dialogue and a lasting solution on the land issue, government and other stakeholders must urgently consider sending food and other necessities to save lives,” he pleaded.
A few months ago, the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops President Bishop Martin Anwell Mtumbuka appealed to President Lazarus Chakwera, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief, to resolve the crisis. However, to this day, Chakwera has remained silent while people continue to suffer under his watch.
The crisis has left more than a thousand people homeless, vulnerable, and uncertain about their future.
