UNITED NATIONS SEEKS $139 MILLION FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN ANGOLA
Press Release
IHA/593
UNITED NATIONS SEEKS $139 MILLION FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN ANGOLA
19960419 NEW YORK, 19 April (Department of Humanitarian Affairs) -- The United Nations today launched an appeal for $139 million in humanitarian assistance to support the transition to peace and reconstruction in Angola.The 1996 humanitarian programme for Angola has three main components: relief and resettlement; assistance for the demobilization and social reintegration of former combatants; and action to eliminate the threat of some 10 million land mines scattered throughout the country.
Since the signing of the Lusaka Peace Agreement in November 1994, peaceful conditions have gradually been restored to most parts of Angola and the disarmament of soldiers of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) has begun at designated "quartering areas". Nevertheless, the erratic pace of the peace process, insecurity and the threat of land-mines have prevented the majority of war-displaced Angolans from returning to their homes.
The current appeal provides for assistance to some 200,000 refugees expected to return to Angola over the course of the year, as well as 700,000 internally displaced persons. The renewed civil war that raged from 1992 to 1994 destroyed much of the country's social and economic infrastructure and left a further 1.8 million of Angola's 12 million people dependent on some form of humanitarian assistance.
The demobilization programme provides food, health care and civic education to UNITA soldiers entering the quartering areas, as well as to members of their family and needy populations in the adjacent communities. At a later stage, up to 100,000 demobilizing soldiers from both UNITA and the Government forces will need assistance in adapting to civilian life. Most of these soldiers and many Angolans have never known peace, as the conflict marking the years before independence in 1975 was quickly followed by a prolonged and devastating civil war. The smooth reintegration of these former combatants is considered the cornerstone of durable peace in Angola.
The presence of an estimated 10 million land-mines represents a serious obstacle to the rehabilitation of Angola. The new appeal seeks funds for mine clearance, survey and marking, as well as mine awareness training to help civilians avoid dangerous areas. The United Nations, in collaboration with the National Mine Action Institute, is training Angolan technicians and managers who will be deployed throughout the country.
- 2 - Press Release IHA/593 19 April 1996
The total cost of the 1996 humanitarian programme is approximately $187 million. Some $58 million has already been pledged or carried over from the previous year, leaving a balance of $139 million. If the peace process adopts a steadier pace in the coming months, the United Nations believes it should be possible to phase out most relief assistance by the end of the year and focus on the rehabilitation of Angola's war-shattered infrastructure and social fabric.
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