This year has seen a tragic resurgence of violence against people with albinism in the countries where we work. In Malawi, there have been five human rights violations since October, including the exhumation of a person with albinism’s grave; the abduction of a 1-year-old baby with albinism; separate abduction attempts on two girls with albinism, aged 9 and 12; and the mutilation and murder of a 26-year-old man with albinism, whose body parts were dismembered for use in witchcraft rituals. In May, we were heartbroken to report the first witchcraft-related killing of a person with albinism in Tanzania in over six years.
Although reported violence has begun to subside in recent years, these cases are an appalling indication of the dangers that continue to face people with albinism and their families throughout East Africa.
In response to this latest wave of atrocities, Standing Voice has been calling for a stronger international response to halt this human rights emergency. Bonface Massah, our Country Director in Malawi, made an impassioned appeal in March to the 46th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, urging the Council to renew the crucial mandate of the Independent Expert on Albinism and help prevent the resurfacing of attacks on a wider scale.
You can watch Bonface’s speech below:
In Malawi, we have continued our efforts to support survivors of torture and their families as part of our long-term work with the United Nations. Now in the second phase of our project, we are currently providing material assistance to survivors and their families by strengthening the security of their existing homes, constructing new houses, providing educational support for affected children, and undertaking home visits to ensure the psychosocial welfare of survivors.
We cannot bring back those people with albinism whose lives have been lost to ignorance and violence. But we can do everything in our power to support those who survive, and ease their journey toward a new future. We hope our work in this area will serve as a powerful reminder of our collective obligation to empower and defend people with albinism until their rights are universally respected.
© 2026 Standing Voice
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