Following United Nations’ (UN) decision to pull staff out of districts affected by report of blood sucking, Malawi Government has urged donors to keep their employees in the districts.
Government spokesperson Nicholas Dausi has said the situation is normalizing hence anyone will soon be able to move freely in the affected districts.
The UN moved staff from Phalombe and Mulanje due to violent acts which have led to the killing of six people suspected to be blood suckers or sheltering them.
A United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) report recommended the relocation of staff from the two districts to Blantyre noting that Phalombe and Mulanje “have been severely affected by the ongoing stories of blood sucking and possible existence of vampires.”
The report also noted that mobs searching for blood suckers have been mounting roadblocks in the two districts hence raising security concerns.
Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Malawi Florence Rolle told Reuters that some UN employees are still in the two districts but others have been withdrawn.
“UNDSS is continuing to monitor the situation closely to ensure all affected UN staff are back in the field as soon as possible,” she said.
Other international organisations have also reportedly suspended operations in the affected districts.
But speaking on the pullout, Minister of Information Dausi said the situation is returning to normal.
“Let tourists that want to visit Malawi and the entire nation know that the situation of blood sucking which is being over exaggerated should not warrant donor countries, cooperating partners or tourists to shun or withdraw their members from Phalombe, Mulanje and Thyolo because the situation is normalizing and government is doing all it can to stop the situation so much so that people should go about freely because Malawi is a warm heart of Africa,” said Dausi.
