United Nations HACU Angola - Humanitarian Response 05 - 12 March 1999
NACOES UNIDAS UNIDADE DE COORDENACAO PARA A ASSISTENCIA HUMANITARIA (UCAH) UNITED NATIONS HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE COORDINATION UNIT (UCAH) Fax : (244-2) 342710 Telefone: (244-2) 344321/348205/341072 Fax: (1-212) 963-3011 (Ext.4523) Av.Comandante Valodia 206-5? Andar Luanda - Angola General Situation More than 600 people have been killed and 700 injured since November by UNITA shelling of Malanje, Angolan authorities reported. A conference being convened by HABITAT - Angola to implement agenda HABITAT II in the country will take place in Luanda from 23 to 26 March. The "Conference on the Future of the cities of Angola" will count with the participation of Government officials as well as UN Agency and NGO representatives. Humanitarian situation The humanitarian situation in Angola has not seen any improvement during the previous week. Several serious attacks on civilian vehicles transporting passengers and goods occurred on the roads Benguela-Huambo, in the stretch between Cubal and Ganda, and Luanda-Benguela, in the vicinity of Canjala. These vicious attacks resulted on a number of deaths and injuries and the looting and destruction of several trucks. Also, a number of attacks to towns and villages increased the feeling of insecurity of the local populations leading to further displacement. There are now over 650,000 confirmed internally displaced Angolans since the start of tension between the parties in April 1998 (see attached fact-sheet). On 5 March, the Humanitarian Co-ordinator, Francesco Strippoli stated in Geneva that "the war is going to continue and we are expecting new population displacements" and added "insufficient aid could lead in months to a new humanitarian catastrophe". He indicated that food aid needs for 1999 were now estimated at US $60 million twice the amount projected in 1998. An additional US $20 million would also be needed to cover the high cost of delivering food by air as roads were considered too insecure for relief convoys. Several reports indicate that economic activity in the provinces remains extremely low with under- and unemployment remaining major problems. While most IDPs still do not have fields to cultivate, the resident populations are affected by the reduction in trade and the lack of capital investments. To assist part of these populations, during February WFP food was distributed to 550,000 beneficiaries, of which 350,000 IDPs. In March, WFP plans to distribute food to 700,000 beneficiaries, of which 480,000 IDPs. Delivery constraints have led to serious shortages of fuel in some provincial capitals. These shortages have forced rationing and increases in the price of gasoline and diesel which have prevented some agencies from completing planned missions and is str aining the budgets of smaller NGOs. The humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate in Malange with an increasing number of displaced people arriving in the provincial capital. Shelling, fighting and insecurity continue to hamper humanitarian assistance. However, food supplies to Mala nge resumed on 4 March. Approximately 500 MT have been delivered since then and are being distributed with the assistance of several NGOs (OIKOS, ADRA-I, WVI and ADAC). The town of Caala, Huambo province was attacked on 3 March with several civilians seriously wounded and a number of deaths. The attackers abducted a number of displaced women and children and stole food from the IDPs. The hospital was partially destroye d but no looting took place. Following this attack a number of IDPs arrived in Huambo. Here, the precarious sanitary situation as well as the shortage of food is resulting in high malnutrition among children. In February, WFP food was distributed with the assistance of SCF-UK to 54, 000 beneficiaries, of which 44,500 IDPs. Also in Huambo, UN agencies, NGOs and Government authorities are preparing schools for up to 15,000 IDP children from the Sao Pedro camp. During the coming week, the Education delegate will select professors and students within the displaced population. Several NGOs (ORA-International, ADPP, OISC, CBA and ADACRU) will organise 50 IDPs to participate in the cleaning of the school and SHA, MPVJ and INACAD will supervise IDPs to participate in painting jobs. Latrines will be set up by Development Workshop and ADPP, furniture provided by Mubela, Ora International, CBA and RUTEC, demining by Halo Trust, and UNICEF, ICRC and MINARS will provide school supplies. The Embassies of Portugal, Brazil, and the Angolan Writers Union, through UCAH, will provide libr ary materials. Despite the relative tranquillity in Uige, humanitarian assistance remains restricted to the areas around the provincial capital and Negage. The distribution of both food and non-food items, including seeds and tools, to 22,525 beneficiaries in Negage wa s carried out as a priority during the period 24 February-1 March. Other vulnerable groups such as elderly, orphans, hospital patients and physically handicapped have also benefited from food and non-food items distribution during February. More recentl y, one health post run by the Tocoista church opened up in Cambondo Velho with drugs from UNICEF. The NGO International Medical Corps rehabilitated four health posts along the route to Negage of which three were opened during the present week (Kambila, K inguangua and Senda). In collaboration with the Ministry of Education and MINARS, the NGO Danish Refugee Council distributed school tables and school material to several schools in Uige municipality while several schools for IDP children are now operatio nal and school furniture and didactic materials continue to be distributed throughout the municipality. There are reports from religious sources indicating that the humanitarian situation in Quibaxe, Kwanza Norte province, is extremely serious with an approximate number of 11,000 IDPs concentrated in and around the town. Owing to security reasons, the huma nitarian community has not visited the town since August last year. Also in the province, and as a result of recent confrontations in the area of Bula Tumba, around 1,500 displaced people have arrived in Golungo Alto. The NGO SCF-US completed registration of IDPs arriving in Gabela from Kibala, Waku Kungo, Andulo and Kilenda. The 16,950 IDPs fled attacks and fighting in these areas. SCF-US plans to assist the IDPs with food-for-work and agriculture programmes. Reports from a recent visit by the NGO Norwegian Refugee Council and Government authorities of Zaire Province, indicate that local residents who fled M'banza Congo on 26 January following an attack to the provincial capital are now returning. According t o NRC and CARITAS, 3,587 people have returned and a further 6,000-6,500 are waiting in the border town of Luvo for transport. The returning IDPs (many of whom were displaced in M'banza Congo) will require food, non-food and medical assistance. Following attacks at the end of February and again during the weekend of 6-7 March, an estimated 9000+ IDPs have arrived in Saurimo mostly from the mining area of Luo in Lunda Norte and Mona Quibundo west of Saurimo. MINARS and humanitarian partners are currently registering the IDPs and discussing the best options for assistance. Nevertheless, most people have fled with very little to nothing and will require immediate emergency assistance in the form of food and basic non-food items. The World Food Programme (WFP) announced in Rome on 4 March that it had dispatched emergency food aid aboard a freight train from Lubumbashi in the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for 30,000 Angolan refugees living in the southern par t of that country. IDP FACT SHEET 28 February 1999 BASIC FACTS Reported Number of IDPs Since January 1998: 881,890 Confirmed Number of IDPs Since January 1998: 654,617 Number of 1998-99 IDPs assisted (food and non-food): 385,046 Total number of 1992-97 (old) IDPs registered: 423,4151 Total number of IDPs (1992-1999) assisted: 424,505 MOST AFFECTED PROVINCES (confirmed New IDPs) Malange 130,077 Huambo 128,202 Huila 74,492 Benguela 46,653 Moxico 41,199 Bengo 32,419 Bie 36,877 Kwanza Norte 28,611 Uige 24,873 Special Notes: * Since fighting intensified in December, IDPs are fleeing to Huambo and Kuito cities in large numbers. MINARS, UN agencies and NGOs are assisting with food and non-food items. Much of the movement and assistance occurred at the end of December. In the beginning of February people began to return to areas close to Kuito town. End 1 Plus estimated 400,000-500,000 in Luanda, Benguela and southern Kuando Kubango. The number of old IDPs reduced because some IDPs in Malange from 1992-1994 were displaced from their temporary settlements. UCAH/OCHA 1 Prepared by UCAH Information Unit This Publication is also available on the Relief Web at http://www.reliefweb.int [This item is delivered in the "irin-extra" service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. For further information or free subscriptions, or to cha <garbled> fax: +254 2 622129 Web: http://www.reliefweb.int. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer.]