OCHA Situation Report
Angola
15 October - 15 November 2003


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

Access and Coordination

Rising river levels due to the start of the rainy season may once again
cut off access to many communities that have recently become accessible.
The slowness of municipal authorities to construct small simple bridges
throughout the dry season will now create major problems in the wet
season. Additionally, demining activities are likely to slow down because
of the muddy conditions and heavy rains.

Provinces Highlights:

In Huambo eight roads have been closed for additional verification by the
"Chubby" system operated by HALO Trust. Two additional Chubby machines
currently stationed in Eritrea are being prepared for Angola, but thus far
funds for the transportation costs of these machines remains insufficient.
Humanitarian partners estimate that there are 33 inaccessible areas that
will need to be assessed in the future. On 29 October a civilian truck
travelling to Tchinhama struck an AT mine killing one person and leaving
three others injured. On the same day, a Government vehicle working for
INEA near Sambo detonated an AT mine injuring two. In Bié, access to
Kuemba remains possible only by air due to broken bridges over rivers
Kuanza and Kuiva. Access to communities that are considered to be
vulnerable in Ringoma and Umpulo, Kamacupa Municipality, and Lubia
commune, N'harea Municipality, remains impossible to humanitarian partners
due to broken bridges and the possibility of mines. A broken bridge over
the river Kuquema continues to prevent access to the community of Caeio,
Kinhinga Municipality, where 5,000 families await assistance. On 19
October a private truck travelling to Massanda village hit an AT mine
leaving one dead and four injured. On 27 October two people collecting
firewood near Chissepa village, Chitembo municipality, stepped on an AP
mine leaving one dead and one injured.

In the southern region, access problems in Huíla have blocked efforts to
assist 2,500 vulnerable people in the communes of Mussinga and Bandeira.
At the end of October, one person died in Lubango and thirteen people
living in Caconda were injured by accidents involving UXOs. In Matala, an
AP mine exploded injuring two policemen. In Kuando Kubango, the areas of
Nankova, Likua and Rivungo remain inaccessible to humanitarian partners.
Rivungo is a high priority for access improvements as a refugee and IDP
return area. In Caiundo, 104 families received family NFI kits through
NRC/ECHO. CARITAS and Malteser distributed 2,030 blankets to vulnerable
groups in the province.  On 22 October an UXO explosion in Wayombua killed
two people and injured three more. In Moxico the Cazombo - Louvua road
remains closed due to five broken bridges. Access to Luacano will be lost
once the rivers start to rise. A number of people were injured in Luau
town on 22 October when a truck hired for IOM struck an AT mine.

In Kuanza Sul, a new bridge went up over the river Quicombo, opening up
access to the Atome district. As a result, German Agro was able to
distribute 1,040 agricultural kits to an area that until now had not
received any humanitarian aid. On 14th November the bridge over the river
Keve was inaugurated increasing the circulation of people and goods into
Gabela. In recent weeks bridges over the rivers Gango, Longa and Pombuije
were also constructed. In Kuanza Norte, NPA continue to clear the area
around the destroyed bridge over the river Cuso. On the completion of
these tasks the Swedish Rescue Services Agency will be able to rebuild
this important bridge as part of the WFP bridge building programme. Heavy
rains during the first two weeks of November caused homes to collapse in
Golungo Alto Municipality. Unconfirmed reports estimate that as many as
7,300 people currently without adequate shelter. In Benguela members of
the Provincial CNIDAH met with OCHA and humanitarian partners on 31
October and decided that the area of Capilongo was the provincial priority
for mine action. On 13 October a commercial truck travelling to Fazenda
Santa Ana hit an AT mine and one person was injured. On 11 November a
Government truck travelling to Capilongo hit an AT mine leaving four
people dead and six injured

Protection

Civilian registration and documentation remains a very important activity
for which slow and unbalanced progress appears to have been made. The
general lack a judicial network at municipality level restricts the
expansion of the justice system in many provinces. The land law and the
way it will be finally implemented remains a concern in the Provinces.

Provinces Highlights:

In Cabinda, Government soldiers engaged in offensive operations against
FLEC have been accused of abuses against the civilian population in a
public report issued by the Ad-Hoc Commission of Human Rights in Cabinda.
In Bié, according to official statistics 3,198 children were registered by
MINJUST between July and October. This compares to 1,798 in the period may
to July. In Huambo about 50 public administration workers were rounded up
and imprisoned during the reporting period as part of a provincial
anti-corruption campaign. So far no formal charges have been raised
against the group. ICRC will start to reduce the scope of their projects
in the province in order to concentrate on family tracing activities and
advocacy. In Huíla, as part of the Child Protection Programme, 70
municipal staff and humanitarian partners received training on family
reunification issues through a course promoted by UNICEF. Computer
scanning equipment that will help with civil registration activities with
MINJUST was also provided by UNICEF. In Kuanza Sul, Save The Children UK
opened a new sub-office in Quibala to support the Child Protection
Programme. The office will offer support to MINARS and MINJUST for child
registration, family tracking and civil registration. Early signs of
disputes over land rights started to circulate in Seles due to claims made
on the same land by several interested groups.

Reintegration

The last of the demobilised soldiers from UNITA are finally leaving the
few remaining transit centres. Government transport and support for the
final part of the return process for both IDPs and demobilised soldiers is
still necessary to complete this complicated process. Many long-term IDPs
have decided to integrate fully into communities close to the camps and
undertake agricultural activities there rather than continue to hope for
organised transport. Given the start of the rainy season few new
spontaneous migrations are likely until the spring next year.

Provinces Highlights:

In Bié, 70 demobilised soldiers and their family members are still waiting
for transport out of the Kunje transit centre. An additional 50 people in
the Njele transit centre are also waiting for transport. In Kuando
Kubango, the last 30 demobilised soldiers left the transit centre at
Menongue airport. In Lunda Sul, the last of the demobilised soldiers at
the gathering areas / transit centre in Tchinege, Camundambala and Muange
are integrating into the local community and have decided to stay given
that they are planting seeds and claiming tools for the new agricultural
season. In Namibe, 30 houses that will provide shelter for people
previously living in caves by the beach near the town of Namibe were
inaugurated by the Prime Minister. The project was a joint effort between
MINARS and NRC. A recent re-verification exercise carried out by UTCAH and
MINARS indicates that approximately 4,740 IDPs are waiting for Government
assistance to be transported to areas of origin. In Lunda Sul, UNHCR and
IOM have started actively assisting refugees to move to Saurimo, the first
stage of the repatriation process in the Province. In Moxico, IDP and
refugee returnees have swelled the populations of Cangamba, Lovua and
Lumbala Caquengue leading to concerns that these communes may slip into a
situation of critical needs.

Food Security

The general distribution part of the Agricultural Campaign is drawing to
close and the joint effort of many humanitarian partners has resulted in a
campaign that has been relatively smoothly implemented. Although the
campaign has managed in most provinces to stay on schedule and reach the
majority of beneficiary areas, the predicted needs for 2004 are still
greater than the possible combined response in 2003 in some provinces. The
current problem of the WFP maize pipeline has reduced general rations in
many parts of the country, which may negatively also affect food stocks
for seed protection.

Provinces Highlights:

In Huambo, OIKOS is distributing seeds obtained through their seed
multiplication programme. In Kuanza Sul, although some logistical problems
were experienced, it is estimated that 90 percent of the agricultural
campaign plan has now been put in place. OIKOS confirmed that by the start
of 2004 a rice seeds multiplication programme will be started in Assango
district, about 20 kms out of Gabela town. In Kuanza Norte, a lack of
partners to distribute seeds negatively affected the agricultural
campaign. Only 4 of the 10 municipalities are likely to benefit from seeds
this year. In Huíla, ACF evaluations into the food security situation in
the recently accessible areas of Bambi, Sangueve and Tchitata concluded
that the level of food insecurity is not as bad as was expected. Food
stocks were observed and the general health of the populations was not
alarming. Of the three locations the coping mechanisms in Sangueve were
the weakest. Across the province partners estimate that 90% of the seed
and tools plan has been implemented and 53,000 families will benefit.

Public Health

The shortfall in the supply of medicines to Provincial hospitals and
health centres has been reported frequently and the problem persists. In
addition to access problems, availability of health and water services in
many return sites is a major concern that preventing organised
repatriation and IDP migration out of the remaining camps.

Provinces Highlights:

In Benguela, a CRS health evaluation in Balombo and Chicuma communes,
Ganda Municipality, concluded that the whilst the situation is not
alarming at the moment, a lack of food stocks, seeds and clean drinking
water would suggest that these communities remain highly vulnerable.
During the reporting period ACF and CRS started the process of handing
over nutritional centres to the health authorities in Benguela. In Bié,
CONCERN transferred the responsibility of the health post in Chivanda,
Kunhinga Municipality, to MINSA. At the same time MINSA and WHO are
intensifying efforts to mainstream routine vaccination coverage in Kuito,
Kamacupa, Katabola, Andola and Chiguar. In preparation for 2004, MINSA,
WHO, UNICEF and MOVIMUNDO are now starting to plan for the distribution of
200,000 mosquito nets. Provincial authorities are investigating six cases
of suspected meningitis in Kamacupa. In Huambo, the Nutrition Sub-group
lamented over increases in malnutrition among resident population in
Huambo town. The reason for the increases remains unclear and additional
studies are recommended. In Kuanza Sul, after many delays dating back to
1998, the hospital at Gabela received three new staff members, a surgeon,
a gynaecologist and an orthopaedic surgeon, upgrading services in the
re-habilitated hospital. In Kuanza Norte, the Belgian Technical
Cooperation, in cooperation with ICCT, undertook five mobile campaigns
against sleeping sickness. Samba Caju was the most affected area with 56
cases identified. In Lunda Sul, LWF, MSF-S and Goal are all involved in
capacity building activities with Ministry of Health. In Malanje, a
shortfall in medicines was stop-gapped by a contribution of 90 basic kits
plus 62 essential kits from UNICEF that were distributed to health posts
and health centres across the Province. An additional 220 health workers
were recruited by the authorities to reinforce the health service
capacity. Of the 220 technicians, 120 were recruited and reintegrated from
former UNITA units.

Education

Very little change was recorded in the Education Programme Bloc during the
reporting period. The need to encourage children to attend school in those
locations were facilities exist is an on-going activity that UNICEF and
MEC are committing resources and making progress. In many places however,
the school construction programme and the infrastructure to support
teachers remains very weak.

Provinces Highlights:

Provinces: In Kuanza Sul statistics from provincial authorities confirmed
that 600,000 school-aged children are outside of the formal education
system.


distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International                  web: www.cidi.org
    Disaster Information             listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
comments/suggestions/requests to incident@cidi.org