Thousands of Mozambicans have fled across the border to Malawi as post-election violence escalates, leaving homes destroyed and lives uprooted. Families seek refuge in makeshift camps, recounting harrowing tales of survival and loss.

Esther is one of the 2,500 families - approximately 13,000 people, including children - who are being housed in various camps in the Nsanje district of southern Malawi as of 26 December, according to the district council’s figures. This follows the tension that escalated into violent protests and clashes after the 11 October elections.

Daniel Chapo, the candidate for the ruling party, the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), was declared the winner against the opposition’s Venâncio Mondlane of the Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique. Mondlane was backed by another opposition party. A recent decision by Mozambique’s Constitutional Council to uphold the earlier ruling, following an appeal from Mondlane, has sparked fresh protests.

The disputed election, which has claimed hundreds of lives and led to widespread chaos, including prisoners being freed from custody, comes after weeks of unrest in Mozambique, a gateway nation to the sea and ports.

The opposition claims it won the polls. Landlocked Malawi relies on Mozambique for access to the sea to import and transport essentials, including fuel.

The Constitutional Council’s decision to reaffirm the earlier ruling has exacerbated the violence, with reports of people burning and looting property, even in rural areas. According to testimonies from those in the camps, for Esther and thousands of others, the burning and looting of their homes meant fleeing without knowing the whereabouts of their loved ones.

Meanwhile, officials from the Malawian government, including the refugee agency, the Department of Disaster Management, and organisations like the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), are registering those seeking refuge and working to establish a formal refugee camp.