Thousands of migrants have left South Africa following targeted violence by anti-migrant groups after an unofficial June 30 deadline imposed by some groups calling for undocumented migrants to leave the country. The pressure has not eased, with anti-migrant groups continuing their campaigns to push migrants out of South Africa.
In Zimbabwe, Doctors Without Borders (MSF)’s emergency migration response has expanded beyond Beitbridge to Nyamapanda, a border crossing in north-eastern Zimbabwe connecting the country with Mozambique and serving as an important transit point for people travelling onwards to Malawi.
The expansion came one month after MSF began supporting people arriving at the Beitbridge Reception Centre, where the organisation initially responded to the humanitarian and medical needs of people returning to Zimbabwe. As movement patterns evolved, MSF extended its response to Nyamapanda to support Malawians passing through Zimbabwe on their journey home via the Nyamapanda border.
“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. We are also seeing people with chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, as well as skin conditions. Being here allows us to provide immediate physical and emotional support, care for those who are sick, and help ensure their care continues. Just as importantly, a hot meal, water and a safe place to rest help ensure that people are treated with dignity,” said Hebert Mutubuki, MSFEmergency Coordinator.
He added: “Reaching the border does not necessarily mean reaching their destination. Some Malawians travel long distances before arriving at Nyamapanda. When they reach the border post late in the day, they may find the crossing has closed for the night and have to wait until the following day to continue their journey. 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.”
To help address some of these immediate needs, MSF has established a temporary reception centre in Nyamapanda. The facility provides people with a place to rest overnight, access washing facilities and receive a meal while they wait to continue their journey to Malawi.
Over 80,000 Malawians have passed through the Nyamapanda reception centre, highlighting the scale of movement through this border point and the humanitarian needs that can arise along the route.
MSF has also implemented water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions at the temporary reception centre. These include the construction of toilets and washing areas, helping to improve hygiene conditions for people passing through the facility.
Rehabilitation work has also improved the infrastructure supporting the centre. This has included restoring and improving water supply connections, renovating clinic infrastructure and undertaking other complementary works to strengthen the facility’s capacity to provide basic humanitarian and health services.
For the past two months, MSF teams have responded to urgent health, protection, and dignity needs in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, and the South Africa–Zimbabwe border towns of Musina and Beitbridge.