Fear from Malawi “vampire” killings causes U.N. to pull staff

Vigilante mobs in Malawi have killed five people accused of ritualistic human blood drinking and the threat has left a bad taste for United Nations officials.

The U.N. has pulled staff from two southern districts where the vampire scare has spread from neighboring Mozambique, according to the BBC.

U.N. staff members were temporarily relocated to safer areas when the organization reported villagers began placing roadblocks to hunt for "vampires." The Malawi government put a curfew in place from 5pm to 7am local time to try and prevent more deaths, which is appropriate considering would-be vampire hunters are likely to work during peak nighttime vampire hours, according to most vampire folklore.

Image: Illustration by David Henry Friston, 1872