OCHA Situation Report
Angola
update: 23 October 2003
3 November 2003



Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Rural communities are now entering the so-called "lean season" which will
continue until the next harvest is collected in March and April 2004. With
the onset of the rainy season, it is expected that in many hard to reach
communities where basic social services remain fragile and fragmented
malnutrition will probably increase in comparison to previous months. The
distribution phase of the agricultural campaign is coming to a close and
implementing partners have been largely successful in moving seeds and
tools into the communities. However, according to the Provincial
Transition Plans, lack of traction animals, insufficient safe land and
poorly maintained irrigation systems will be limiting factors to
agricultural productivity and recovery for many communities. Considering
that productive activities have started successfully in many locations and
humanitarian access has generally improved in recent months, the cause of
malnutrition in many cases is linked to the poor quality drinking water,
inappropriate hygiene practices and absolute poverty, rather than
shortages of food in the market place or within households. Poorly
balanced diets continue to contribute to ill health, as does a lack of
basic medicines to treat preventable diseases.

Civil protection, documentation and education to guard against violence,
abuse and exploitation remain areas where further work by the Government
and its partners needs to be done. Although there has been some progress,
the capacity of the municipal administrations to offer protection services
and coordinate recovery activities remains weak in relation to the
challenges that they face. Bringing emergency relief to new pockets of
need whilst simultaneously embarking on transitional activities in
previous emergency locations that have since become stabilised, is a trend
that is likely to continue for many more months.

Resettlement and Return

The arrival of war-affected groups within host communities increased the
potential for conflict during the reporting period, although in most
locations returnee reintegration has been a calm and pragmatic process.
All the Gathering Areas finally closed and then eventually emptied, and
towards the end of the reporting period the number of demobilized families
uncomfortably lodged in inadequately prepared transit centres fell
dramatically. At the highpoint in July 2003, it was estimated that 36,000
demobilised soldiers, plus their families, were in transit centres spread
across 12 provinces. Provinces where transit centres are still inhabited
at the start of October include Benguela, where the transit centres at
Tchapiandau, Benguela town, Bocoio, and Balombo collectively contain 2,800
people; Moxico, were 30 people continue to wait at the end of the
airstrip; Kuando Kubango, where two demobilized families remain in Luena
town; Malanje, where approximately 230 people remain in Katepa transit
centre; Bié, where approximately 200 people await transport and finally
Zaire, where a further 300 people wait for transport home.

The latest official figures from the Government released on 6th October,
show that 3,323,780 IDPs have now returned to their areas of origin or
preference. The Government considers that 928,116 people are still
internally displaced. The largest IDP concentrations are in Lunda North,
Benguela, Malanje, Kuando Kubango and Huíla. It is expected that many of
the remaining IDPs will now opt to resettle close to their current
locations. By the end of 2003, it is expected that the large-scale, long
distance internal population movements will probably cease, allowing most
communities to re-establish normal routines and consolidate civil
structures.

A quick evaluation of the 2002-2003 Provincial Emergency Plans of Action
for Resettlement and Return concluded that of the estimated 5,000
essential tasks that were listed by provincial teams in 2002,
approximately half of those tasks had been completed one year later, and
of the remaining tasks still to be completed, many had been concretely
planned or were underway. Although most of the tasks considered in the
planning process were linked to infrastructure and therefore the primary
responsibility of the Government, important gains in the water, health and
education sectors were made through complementary activities by
inter-governmental and non-governmental contributions.

More than 37,000 Angolan refugees have returned home from the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Zambia and Namibia to Zaire, Moxico and Kuando Kubango
provinces under the voluntary repatriation programme launched on 20 June.
The return of an additional 20,000 refugees who travelled to Angolan on
their own in 2003 has been facilitated by UNHCR through the provision of
food, NFIs and/or official documentation.

Health and Nutrition

During the reporting period meningitis outbreaks were recorded in Malanje,
Huíla, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul and Huambo. In each case "blocking"
vaccination campaigns were launched to curb outbreaks. Sleeping sickness
was recorded in 14 provinces and appeared to be endemic in Bengo, Malanje,
Luanda, Kuanza Norte, Kuanza Sul, Uíge and Zaire.

Partners continue to systematically screen communities where food
insecurity is likely. Communities under monitoring by WFP due to reports
of increased vulnerability and food insecurity include Chiume and Mussuma
communes in Lumbala N'guimbo Municipality, Moxico Province; Bela-Vista,
Ambriz Municipality, Bengo Province; Ebanga, Chicuma and Ganda
Municipalities, Benguela Province; Caieie community, N'harea Municipality,
Bié Province; and Mavinga, Kuando Kubango Province. The recently accessed
community of Gungue in the northern part of Huíla Province will receive
additional food security support following recommendations by the
Provincial Inter-Sectoral Mobile Team. According to the local authorities
in Huambo the nutritional situation has improved in comparison to previous
reporting periods. In Huambo city only two therapeutic and two
supplementary feeding centres are currently required compared to six
therapeutic and 11 supplementary feeding centres in March. Likewise, in
Chipindo and Caconda, Huíla Province, NGO partners expect to reduce
operations concerning direct assistance to therapeutic centres due to a
more stabilised nutritional situation.

Core Pipelines

Food: At the end of September the PRRO was 77 percent funded, with
confirmed contributions totalling US$ 182,042,577. An additional
contribution of US$ 6,857,143 from the EU in October will be used to
purchase 7,703 MT of maize and 1,500 MT of pulses. The current WFP
caseload is 2.2 million, a recent highpoint reflecting in an increase
vulnerability due the large-scale returns to communities where support
structures are not well-established. In September, 460,110 rations were
given out through the Food For Work Programme which is set to increase in
October to approximately 760,000 rations due to an expansion in Recovery
and Seed Protection programmes in support of the current agricultural
campaign.

Due to delays in the arrival of key shipments, WFP has rearranged its
maize supply network to prevent a potential rupture in the cereals
pipeline through the Lobito corridor. Whilst emergency distributions will
not be adversely affected, relief distributions maybe reduced in some
areas due to the overall shortfall. The weakness in the Lobito pipeline
may also have a negative impact on the pre-positioning of food in
difficult to access places prior to the start of the rainy season.
Furthermore, a break is projected in the central pipeline by the end of
November due to delays in the delivery of 14,000 MT of maize to Lobito,
leaving the provinces of Huambo, Bié, Benguela, Moxico and Kuando Kubango
in a potentially precarious position. In all other commodities, WFP has
sufficient supplies already in-country to cover the programme plans until
the end of the year.

In early September, the Consortium for Development Relief Assistance
(CDRA) pipeline imported and are currently distributing 11,688 MT of food
(maize, pulses, CSB, and oil). The CDRA pipeline is secure until the end
of November but shortages in pulses and oil are possible by the end of the
year.

Essential Drugs and Emergency Health Care Kits: Breaks in the essential
drugs pipeline continue to cause difficulties for partners working in the
health sector. The Ministry of Health took steps to correct the situation
in September by ordering 11,290 essential drugs kits, of which 4,755 now
have arrived in Angola. The remaining kits are expected to arrive during
the next months. In addition WHO ordered 12,000 medical kits and 50
Emergency kits which will arrive at the beginning of November.

Seeds and Tools: At the beginning of October, FAO reported that
approximately 90 percent of the agricultural inputs for the next campaign
are in the provinces. All northern provinces are fully covered and the
central area is nearing full coverage. The southern areas are slightly
behind but should be covered before the heavy rains arrive. In total
approximately 600,000 family kits have been distributed. In addition to
FAO funds, contributions were made by EURONAID, USAID/CDRA, ECHO and the
Governments of Holland, Ireland and Norway.

Emergency Non-food Items: During September and October WFP reorganised its
flight schedule for the transportation of NFI, prioritising available
assets to assist in the current distribution of inputs for the
agricultural campaign. In the future the focus will shift depending on the
particular campaign in progress and humanitarian priorities at the time.
The WFP air service is presently facing financial constraints and new
operating procedures will soon be announced as part of a cost-cutting
exercise. WFP is currently seeking funds from key donors in the hope of
continuing full services until the end of the year.

Humanitarian Access

Bridges: The WFP Bridge Construction Programme, which is being implemented
through SRSA and in partnership with INEA, is now progressing well after
initial problems linked to de-mining checks and prioritisation delays.
Just to reach the construction site for the bridge over the river Longa,
Kuanza Sul Province, from the direction of Quibala, NPA and FAA had to
destroy 22 anti-tank mines on the approach road. In spite of such
difficulties, seven bridges have been completed recently and three more
are currently under construction. The remaining four bridges, from the
original goal of fourteen, will probably be moved to the second phase of
the project for which funding is currently being sought.

Demining: During the reporting period the demining NGOs MgM, Santa
Barbara, HALO Trust, NPA, INTERSOS and MAG undertook many and varied tasks
spread across twelve provinces. During August and September, seven
confirmed mine accidents occurred. Four accidents occurred in Moxico
Province, two in Malanje Province and one in Bié Province. No CNIDAH
meeting took place during the reporting period and the next meeting date
is scheduled for the end of October. On 12th September the decree for the
creation of INAD (National Demining Institute) and the closure of INAROEE
was approved by the Council of Ministers. On 10th October the national
demining plan was approved, revitalising previous State programmes within
mine action sector.

Areas Opened for Humanitarian Operations: In August and September
successful security assessments by UNSECOORD took place in the following
locations.

   Cambuengo, Huambo Province
   Bambi, Sangueve, Tchitata, Huíla Province
   Kiangombe, Luinga, Bolongongo, Quiculungo, Kuanza Norte Province
   Banga, Canjola, Chicuma, Benguela Province


UN Agency Activities

United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS)

The Programme Acceleration Fund of US$ 345,000 solicited from UNAIDS to
support the national response to combat HIV/AIDS has been approved and is
being disbursed through the RC system to the National AIDS Programme and
other implementing agencies. Part of this fund is going to the help with
the decentralisation of the National Strategic Plan on STIs and HIV/AIDS
for 2003-2008. UNAIDS is supporting the National AIDS Programme to prepare
provincial workshops in all provinces with the objective of drawing up
provincial action plans in line with the National Strategic Plan. UNAIDS
facilitated a donors' meeting in October in partnership with the
Ministries of Health, Education and Youth and Sports with the objective of
raising additional funds for the implementation of the various HIV/AIDS
awareness programmes.

In close collaboration with the UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS is
currently in a process of coordinating the contributions of the UN
agencies to the implementation of the National Strategic Plan. A
coordination mechanism is being elaborated that will facilitate coherence
of HIV/AIDS activities in the UN system and avoid potential gaps and/or
overlaps.

UNAIDS is giving technical support to the Ministry of Youth and Sports in
organising the First National Youth Conference on HIV/AIDS, which will be
held in Luanda on 1-4 December 2003.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF has funded capacity building workshops for some of the 29,000 newly
recruited teachers with US$1 million for October and November. UNICEF also
continues to support the rehabilitation of a further 401 classrooms and
trained 4,400 people for Education for Life and Peace (ELP), a programme
which provides those children without access to formal classrooms with
learning-through-playing opportunities including lessons in Portuguese,
basic numbers and mathematics, conflict resolution, team building skills,
and self-care information, including HIV/AIDS and mine awareness. UNICEF's
ELP, funded mainly by the EU, now reaches 85,000 students in 15 of
Angola's 18 provinces.

UNICEF created 24 new Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) for war-affected
children, which consist a football field equipped with posts and balls,
swings, a seesaw, and a jango (traditional hut) for birth registration.

In the past two months UNICEF has begun distribution of 30,000 treated
bednets and created 10 treatment centres for malaria to benefit 80,000
Angolans. The HIV/AIDS programme opened two youth centres in Luanda and
Cabinda where youth can learn about responsible sexual practices and HIV
prevention. Angola's large number of returnees (3.3 million), together
with low levels of education (nearly one-third have never heard of
HIV/AIDS), a young population (nearly 70 percent of Angolans are under
24), the world's highest fertility rate, and a high poverty index,
indicate that Angola has almost all of the risk factors associated with a
rapid increase in HIV/AIDS. The youth centres will serve as critical
conduits for messages on prevention and safe sex, in an environment that
fosters socialising and learning. Pending available funds, four more
centres are planned.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Governance: The Government of Angola has approved some recommendations in
a UNDP study on decentralisation, which puts forward a comprehensive
vision and strategy for decentralisation reforms. This positive result has
facilitated a local governance approach in the World Bank's Emergency
Multi-sectoral Recovery Project for Angola (2004-2007), in which UNDP will
be involved in the implementation of the component for decentralisation
and support to local development. The Millennium Development Goals report
coordinated by UNDP and prepared by the Government of Angola was launched
on July 29th.

Post-conflict Recovery and Mine Action: A joint UNDP/ILO/FAO proposal to
support the reintegration of the ex-combatants in the framework of the
peace process in Angola was approved. The Project will assist IRSEM in
setting up and managing the process of demobilisation and reintegration of
ex-combatants. The UNDP project for strengthening national capacity for
mine action coordination at provincial level was approved in October and
implementation will begin in early 2004. The Mine Action Portfolio (MAP)
has been prepared with 33 project contributions from 15 different
operators and agencies, amounting to a total appeal of US $ 23,846,342.
The global MAP 2004 will be launched in November alongside the CAT 2004.

Private Sector Partnership: UNDP has begun its public-private partnership
with ChevronTexaco to support the development of the micro- and small
enterprise sector in Angola. The Angola Enterprise Programme, expected to
be approved by November 2003, will promote the development of a diverse
and robust micro-, small and medium enterprise sector in Angola by
supporting a consensus building process around a common vision and a
national strategy for micro- and small business development. The end
objective of the programme is to effectively contribute to the
Government's Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy through employment and
incomes generation.

Poverty Cluster: After comprehensive negotiations the project entitled
"Support to Artisanal Fishing and Community Reinforcement of the
Productive Sector in Ambriz and Neighbourhood" is likely to be signed by
the end of October by the Ministry of Planning. Through the project
entitled "Strengthen Education System in Angola to Combat HIV/AIDS"
several capacity building sessions with community agents took place,
giving training concerning the best way to teach affected communities how
to deal with HIV/AIDS. Also, it was possible to consolidate contacts with
Brazilian National Aids Programme, and facilitate links with the Angolan
Ministry of Education to prepare better materials relating to
mainstreaming issues regarding HIV/AIDS in the national education
curriculum.

Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)

For the current agricultural campaign FAO-UCPE imported 263,000 family
agricultural kits that were funded by EU, the Governments of USA, Japan,
Sweden and Norway and by UNHCR. The distribution is taking place in 14
provinces through 57 national and international NGOs. By 15 October all
these kits were with FAO's partners in the provinces. FAO also imported
more than 20 MT of seeds (leguminous and cereals) to be distributed by 12
NGOs in nine provinces for seed multiplication activities. These
activities are funded by the Governments of Italy and Japan.

The Land Tenure project concentrated on the creation of a high level Task
Force that will lead a national seminar entitled "Land as Socio-Economic
Development and Stability Source" which is due to take place on 30th
October. Support to the Food Security Department of MINADER continues
through FAO, with EU funding, resulting in training for the members of the
Food Security Cabinet. FAO, in partnership with MINADER and UNDP, is
supporting research concerning a review of the agriculture sector leading
into the Food Security Strategy and Investment Priority Settings.

In Luanda, Bengo and Huambo, FAO is promoting the development of forest
plantations with the aim of improving living conditions for residents
whilst protecting the environment in a sustainable way. FAO is also
studying small irrigation and intensified rain-fed agriculture in areas
where local smallholders and external investors are looking to increase
productivity.

United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)

The pace of the voluntary repatriation of Angolan refugees has
considerably increased. On average, five convoys carrying approximately
2,500 returning refugees travel from DRC, Zambia and Namibia to Angola. A
number of additional districts have been opened for organised return since
early July, including Cazombo and Kavungu in Moxico province, Cuimba and
Madimba in Zaire province and Calai in Kuando Kubango province. UNHCR is
also working to open a number of additional areas prior to the
commencement of the rainy season, including Marco 25 and Caianda in Moxico
and Cuangar in Kuando Kubango. At the same time, UNHCR continues to
provide assistance to spontaneously returning refugees following a
screening process. UNHCR is also planning to establish a presence in Lunda
Norte and Malange provinces, given the significant number of refugees who
wish to return or have already returned to these areas.

Many districts remain closed to organised return due to broken bridges,
landmines and a lack of basic social services. While UNHCR is financing a
number of small scale infrastructure rehabilitation initiatives, including
spot road repair and the reconstruction of schools, health clinics and
water points, UNHCR is relying on the Government of Angola to take the
lead in rehabilitation particularly in those areas requiring major
demining and the repair of bridges and roads.

UN Human Rights Office in Angola (UNHROA)

As the Bloc Convener for Protection Bloc in the 2004 Consolidated Appeal
for Transition, the Response Plan presented by UNHROA promoted citizen's
empowerment by improving human rights awareness and facilitating access to
protection mechanisms, support to civil society, the promotion of law by
supporting legislative reform and support to the development of a National
Human Rights Plan. The mainstreaming of Human Rights in all UN programme
areas continues to be a cross-cutting theme. UNHROA continues to observe
and report on specific policy changing cases occurring within Angola
through tracking and monitoring the evolving mechanisms within the justice
sector, conditions in prisons and the development in the quest for freedom
of expression.

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Provincial Planning Workshop: The National Workshop for the Preparation of
the Provincial Transition Plans took place on 12 -- 14 August. All the
Provinces took part and 18 Provincial Transition Plans were prepared by
the Provincial teams and subsequently approved by Provincial Governors by
mid-September. The criteria that was used for the selection of PTP
locations was as follows:

   Communities with a high number of war-affected returnees

   Communities not covered by planned recovery or rehabilitation
   interventions

   Communities with a high degree of disintegration or social conflict

   Communities not in compliance with the pre-conditions and social target
   s established in the Norms and regulamento.


In total, 185 locations were prioritised for community-based integrated
plans of action which will serve as an operational framework through to
the end of 2004. Data from the transition plans was incorporated into the
Consolidated Appeal for Transition for 2004.

Inter-agency Consolidated Appeal for Transition. In October OCHA, in close
partnership with the Government, UN Agencies, and NGOs facilitated
discussions that led to an agreement on the transition strategy that will
form the basis of the 2004 Consolidated Appeal for Transition (CAT). The
CAT draft has been set to OCHA HQ in Geneva for final approval and will be
launched with other country appeals on 19th November.

Exit Strategy. OCHA engaged in a "Lessons Learned" mission that from OCHA
New York in order to draw upon good practices from OCHA's experience in
Angola. Also, in November, OCHA is hosting an Exit Strategy Mission from
New York and Geneva to ensure that OCHA's departure from Angola will occur
with a smooth and positive handover of responsibilities to the Government
and other Agency partners. The draft paper on this strategy is almost
finalised and the last HQ mission to OCHA Angola on this matter will take
place on 4-8 November.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

This year the World Population Day activities were celebrated under the
theme: Adolescents and Youth United Against HIV/AIDS. In association with
UNFPA, 10 days of activities at the end of July were organized by the
Ministry of Planning, with the participation of the Ministry of Youth and
Sport, Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Family and the Promotion of
Women, the Ministry of Health, and National Radio of Angola, and other
partners such as CAJ-Youth Support Centre, and Women Organization of
Angola (OMA). At the same time the television programme "Janela Aberta"
further increased awareness by leading debates related to STIs/HIV/AIDS.
Various medical issues related to adolescents sexual and reproductive
health needs were addressed.

The arrival of the new UNFPA Representative to Angola on 12th September
and an internal workshop for all UNFPA staff from 7 to 11 October that was
conducted by a consultant from the UNFPA Country Support Team in Harare,
helped to facilitate an internal review of how UNFPA will further enhance
its activities. Currently UNFPA has a fixed presence in three provinces,
are Benguela, Huíla and Luanda.

World Food Programme (WFP)

Ongoing operations to achieve food security in the areas of Special
Nutritional Activities, General Food Distributions, Resettlement and Food
For Work continued throughout the reporting period. Equipment and
personnel connected to the WFP Maize Fortification Project arrived in
Lobito. The project is now being organised and should be ready soon as a
response to pellagra in Bié province.

Under the guidance of WFP, Rapid Food Needs Assessments took place in
Kwanza Sul, Bengo, Uíge, and Bié Provinces during the reporting period.
These assessments serve both as a tool for the collection of information
and also as a capacity building exercise for provincial food security
structures involving both Government and NGO partners.

World Health Organisation (WHO)

Teams from WHO undertook evaluations to assess the level of available
health services and the health situation in 210 locations with high
concentrations of returning IDPs and demobilised soldiers across 15
provinces. Of the 210 locations assessed, 52 were selected for the
distribution of Minimum Health and Nutrition Packets. These packets are
financed through the European Union. Occasionally it was necessary to use
motorbikes to visit hard to access areas.

The Ministry of Health, with technical support from WHO, trained health
workers from 15 provinces in a programme that focuses on the improvement
and integration of health services in areas that were previously
controlled by UNITA during the conflict. The training centres are located
in Benguela, Bié, Huambo, Huíla, Malanje and Moxico Provinces.

Inter-Agency Activities

United Nations Development Assistance Framework: Under the leadership of
the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, UN Agencies continued to work on
the development comprehensive post-conflict strategy as the basis of the
United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for 2005-2008. The
agreed strategy for 2004 that was elaborated through the final draft of
the 2004 Consolidated Appeal for Transition will be used as the foundation
for leading Agencies into the UNDAF framework. The promotion of the
Millennium Development Goals both within the Appeal and the UNDAF is
considered to be a common thread holding the Agencies together and will
continue to serve as a unifying theme which has been an intrinsic
benchmark for the UN in Angola since the 2000.


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