The ongoing hysteria in Malawi surrounding mysterious 'blood sucker' entities has reached such a fevered pitch that the United Nations has been forced to relocate some its staff in the country.
Panic over the vampiric beings, said to possess a strange combination of magical powers and technological prowess, erupted in the country late last month as stories of their existence spread throughout a pair of villages.
Despite an increased police presence in those communities, it would appear that residents remain unnerved by the rumors as a total of five suspected 'blood suckers' have now been killed by concerned citizens.
The rising tension in the region was noticed by the safety and security branch of the UN, which observed in an internal report that "these districts have severely been affected by the ongoing stories of blood sucking and possible existence of vampires."
And so, in an effort to protect their workers from vigilante mobs who are blocking roads and taking to the streets looking for potential 'blood suckers,' the world body opted to remove some of its staff from the area.
Considering that UN workers are, by their very nature, outsiders to the communities gripped by 'blood sucker' paranoia, this was probably a wise decision and one which apparently other charitable organizations operating in the region have also made.
The government of Malawi expressed profound dismay at the UN's decision, although all parties hope to resume working together once the hysteria subsides.
Let's just hope that the 'blood suckers' panic doesn't stop too suddenly after the UN staff leaves or else it may be seen as a bit too serendipitous to nervous residents in the region.
Source: The Guardian
Panic over the vampiric beings, said to possess a strange combination of magical powers and technological prowess, erupted in the country late last month as stories of their existence spread throughout a pair of villages.
Despite an increased police presence in those communities, it would appear that residents remain unnerved by the rumors as a total of five suspected 'blood suckers' have now been killed by concerned citizens.
The rising tension in the region was noticed by the safety and security branch of the UN, which observed in an internal report that "these districts have severely been affected by the ongoing stories of blood sucking and possible existence of vampires."
And so, in an effort to protect their workers from vigilante mobs who are blocking roads and taking to the streets looking for potential 'blood suckers,' the world body opted to remove some of its staff from the area.
Considering that UN workers are, by their very nature, outsiders to the communities gripped by 'blood sucker' paranoia, this was probably a wise decision and one which apparently other charitable organizations operating in the region have also made.
The government of Malawi expressed profound dismay at the UN's decision, although all parties hope to resume working together once the hysteria subsides.
Let's just hope that the 'blood suckers' panic doesn't stop too suddenly after the UN staff leaves or else it may be seen as a bit too serendipitous to nervous residents in the region.
Source: The Guardian
