Nyamapanda Centre Helps 80,000 Malawians Returning Home
More than 80,000 Malawians travelling home from South Africa have passed through a temporary reception centre at Nyamapanda, where they receive shelter, water, sanitation services and basic healthcare.
The facility, established by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), is supporting migrants using the north-eastern Zimbabwe border crossing as they make their way towards Malawi. Nyamapanda is an important transit point linking Zimbabwe with Mozambique and serving travellers heading to Malawi. MSF extended its response to the area after initially providing assistance at the Beitbridge Reception Centre in southern Zimbabwe.
The organisation said changing migration routes prompted the expansion of its operations to Nyamapanda, where many travellers arrive after spending several days on the road. MSF Emergency Coordinator Herbert Mutubuki said many people reaching the centre were physically exhausted and emotionally distressed after difficult journeys. “Many of the people arriving at Nyamapanda are exhausted and under a lot of stress after a long and difficult journey, and some are dealing with emotional trauma,” he said.
“Just as importantly, a hot meal, water and a safe place to rest help ensure that people are treated with dignity.” The centre is particularly important for travellers who reach the border after operating hours. Mutubuki said reaching a border post did not necessarily mean that travellers had reached their final destination, with some facing the prospect of spending the night in unfamiliar surroundings without adequate access to food, water or shelter.
“Reaching the border does not necessarily mean reaching their destination,” he said. “For people who may already have spent days travelling, this can create additional challenges, including finding somewhere safe to sleep, accessing water, sanitation and food.” MSF has constructed toilets and washing facilities at the centre, restored water connections and renovated clinic infrastructure.
The organisation is also providing basic healthcare, including treatment for chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, as well as skin conditions. Mutubuki said providing care at the border was important because some travellers move through several countries and could otherwise struggle to maintain treatment for existing medical conditions. The response also relies on health promoters who engage communities before other services are introduced.
Azalet Dube, an MSF health promoter working with migrants affected by violence in Johannesburg, said establishing trust was essential. “As the HP team, we are the front runners and the face of our interventions,” she said. “Once the community accepts us, the rest of the team follows,” Dube said her approach had also been shaped by her experience during the COVID-19 response.
She recalled an incident involving displaced people sheltering in an open area in Johannesburg, where a mother was struggling to calm her two-month-old baby. “The woman was overwhelmed and in tears. The baby was cold and hungry,” she said. “We all left what we were doing to focus on the baby. Seeing everyone step up to support her moved me.” Since July, Dube's team has reached more than 4,000 migrants in South Africa's Gauteng province through health education and direct support.
MSF teams have also provided assistance in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, as well as in border communities including Musina and Beitbridge. The Nyamapanda intervention highlights the humanitarian challenges that can continue even after migrants reach an international border, particularly for people who have already spent days travelling and still have hundreds of kilometres to go. For the Malawians passing through the centre, access to basic shelter, clean water, sanitation and healthcare provides a temporary point of safety on the journey home.
Nyamapanda reception centre
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