Malawi - An estimated 147,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain at 192 displacement sites in southern Malawi following the onset on heavy floods in January.

The Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) report published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Wednesday, 29 April, shows that approximately 38,600 households are yet to return to their homes nearly four months after the floods.

Working closely with local and national government officials, IOM is conducting DTM assessments in the six most affected districts of Blantyre, Chikwawa, Mulanje, Nsanje, Phalombe, and Zomba.

The latest findings indicate that 50 percent of all IDPs intend to return to their respective area of origin. Damage to homes and farms, as well as persistent vulnerability to future flooding, has been cited as the primary reason of delayed returns.

DTM is a tool designed to regularly capture, process, and disseminate information to provide a better understanding of the needs, numbers, and movements of IDPs. The DTM unit seeks to provide the Government of Malawi, humanitarian and developmental partners with the information needed to ensure that the appropriate assistance can be provided to IDPs and to inform the decisions that will guide the transition towards early recovery and durable solutions. 

In Malawi, DTM assessments are being carried out by IOM in partnership with Save the Children, Sustainable Rural Community Development (SURCOD) and All Hands Volunteers. The DTM is funded the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), the UN One Fund, and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).

The full report is available at DTM Malawi – Round II.

For more information, please contact: Brenda Chimenya, IOM Malawi Tel: +265 (0) 997-351-041 Email: Bchimenya@iom.int