Angola - HACU: 01-15.Jul.98
Angola - HACU: 01-15.Jul.98
OCHA-GENEVA
UNITED NATIONS OFFICE
FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS IN ANGOLA
Period covered: 01 - 15 July 1998
The information contained in this report was provided by the
United Nations Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unit in Luanda (UCAH)
GENERAL SITUATION
After the tragic death of Maitre Beye, the Angolan Peace Process seems to
be in stand-by. Although both UNITA and the Government have expressed
their willingness to remain committed with the Lusaka Protocol, no progress
was shown in the implementation of the remaining tasks and the dialogue
between the two parties does not exist at the moment. In order to resume
this dialogue, the Acting SRSG along with the new MONUA Political Adviser,
Mr. Berhanu Dinka, traveled on 8 July to Andulo where they met with the
UNITA leadership. However, up to now the Joint Commission did meet due to
the absence of UNITA chief of Delegation who still is in Andulo.
During the reporting period, the situation in the country remained unstable
and unpredictable. Attacks and ambushes on villages and along the main
roads were registered in the provinces of Uige, Kwanza Norte, Malange,
Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Huila and Bie. A large-scale deployment of
mechanized FAA troops and forced recruitment of young men by both sides
were also registered, causing fear of a new war in the country.
At the same time, there has been an increased number of harassment by
members of Angolan National Police (ANP) and UNITA against UN and
humanitarian properties and workers. As an example, the three following
cases, amongst others, should be noted:
-Most of the MONUA, UCAH and NGO properties which have been forcibly
left behind on 27 June in Mavinga (Kuando Kubango Province), have been
either partly looted or reported as missing. The aircraft with MONUA
observers and two UNITA officials, who went to Mavinga on 1 July to
reclaim and uplift these properties, had to return to Menongue without
any property. The UNITA secretary for Mavinga who took possession of
the car keys on 27 June, was not seen.
-On 6 July, the ANP in Maquela do Zombo town (Uige Province) forced a
driver of Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and its truck to transport 70
conscripted persons and 10 policemen to Uige City. On the other hand,
ANP members in the same locality threatened the NRC local Radio-Operator
and took the NRC-base station HF radio. These incidents represent a
serious harassment of humanitarian properties.
-A MONUA helicopter while on a verification mission was fired upon in
Toto (Uige Province) last week without casualties.
On the other hand, the Government has developed an intense diplomatic
activity in the region through receiving Head of States or their special
envoys. This Tuesday, 14 July, the Presidents of Namibia and Democratic
Republic of Congo spent some hours visit in Luanda where they had a
tripartite summit with their Angolan Homologue. The statement issued at
the end holds UNITA responsible for the current state of the implementation
of the Lusaka Protocol. It is likely that the three statesmen
raised the matter of common efforts to prevent their country's borders from
UNITA military actions. The Angolan President is traveling today to Cape
Verde for the Summit of the Portuguese Speaking Country Community where the
current situation in Guinea-Bissau and Angola shall be raised.
GENERAL HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
The overall humanitarian situation continued to be very serious throughout
the country with increasing number of newly displaced persons (IDPs). This
is the immediate consequence of the current lack of security in the
countryside. The number of confirmed new IDPs is rising, as the results of
humanitarian assessment missions are known. However, due to the limited
access caused by insecurity, humanitarian organizations are not able to
assess all the reported cases and cannot assist the entire population in
need. Further more, most of the humanitarian actors moved out from the
remote areas to relocate themselves in provincial capitals.
As of 8 July, the humanitarian organizations have confirmed 78,223 new IDPs
out of whom 41,566 are being assisted while unconfirmed reports still
estimate the existence of some 100,000 - 150,00 new IDPs throughout the
country. The most affected provinces of this new wave of IDPs are Bengo
(13,269), Huila (11,556), Huambo (10,757), Malange (8,350), Kwanza Norte
(8,283), Lunda Norte (7,871) and Lunda Sul (6,894). The other hosting
provinces (Uige, Zaire and Benguela) have each less than 6,000 new IDPs.
STATUS OF APPEAL AND EMERGENCY REQUIREMENTS
The Government of Sweden informed of its pledges of USD 1,560,000 for UNDP
supported programs in Angola in response to the 1998 Appeal. These
programs include the UNDP/UCAH/ILO support to reintegration of demobilized
war disabled and the UNDP/SeCor assistance to demobilized under-age
soldiers, amongst other projects. However, priority requirements are
needed for UNHCR, which has lost confirmed USD 252,020 in damaged or lost
materials incurred in Uige and Moxico Provinces as a result of insecurity.
However, the potential losses, which cannot be confirmed at the present,
could reach close to USD 4 million including materials used by UNHCR's
implementing partners.
This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int
Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unit (UCAH) - Luanda
Mr. Francesco Strippoli
Tel.: (244 2) 39 77 74/39 35 43
Satelite Fax: (00873) 38 50 50 914
Complex Emergency Response /
Consolidated Appeal Process (CER/CAP) - Geneva
Mr. Ernest Chipman - Chief
Mr. Ayodele Fowler
Tel.: (41 22) 788.1406
Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
Registry E-Mail: Abu.Conteh@dha.unicc.org
Complex Emergencies Division (CED)-New York
Ms. Agnes Asekenye-Oonyu
Tel.: (1 212) 963.1773
Fax: (1 212) 963.1388
E-Mail: buer@un.org
Information Service
Ms. Therese Gastaut - Director
Tel.: (41 22) 917.2300
Fax: (41 22) 917.0030
E-Mail: tgastaut@unog.ch
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