Easy Read
About Dzaleka
Simple facts about where Dzaleka is, when it opened, and how large it is now.
What is Dzaleka?
Dzaleka is a refugee camp in Malawi.
It is in Dowa District, about 41 kilometres from Lilongwe.
When did Dzaleka start?
Dzaleka opened in 1994.
It was first planned for about 10,000 to 12,000 people.
How many people live there?
The camp is much larger now than it was meant to be.
As of March 2025, UNHCR counted 57,438 people living there.
Where do people come from?
People in Dzaleka come from several countries.
UNHCR lists the largest groups as people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
What do these words mean?
A refugee is a person who had to leave home to be safe.
An asylum seeker is a person asking for protection in another country.
Do the numbers stay the same?
No. Population numbers can change over time.
This guide uses public information, but the latest figures can go up or down.
Where these facts came from
Checked on 18 April 2026. The camp location and current population figure came from the UNHCR Malawi country page. The opening year and original planned capacity came from the UNHCR data portal for Malawi.
- UNHCR Malawi country page
Checked 18 April 2026 for the location, the distance from Lilongwe, and the March 2025 population figure (57,438).
- UNHCR data portal for Malawi
Checked 18 April 2026 for the opening year and the original planned capacity.