ACCESS LIMITATIONS IN ANGOLA PLACE 314,000 IN CRITICAL NEED

[OCHA]

ACCESS LIMITATIONS IN ANGOLA PLACE314,000 IN CRITICAL NEED

      NEW YORK,4 March (OCHA) --The United Nations Office for the Coordina tion of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Angola, where the United Nations runs one of the largest relief operations in the world, reports that the needs of some

314,000 people are now critical.  T he combination of seasonal rains, dilapidated infrastructure and mine infestation have cut off humanitarian access to

236,000 people who had been receiving aid and to another estimated 200,000 who have not.  Conditions are expected to further deteriorate in coming weeks unless access can be established.

The needs of those236,000 people who had been receiving assistance at the end of 2002 are now critical because humanitarian aid can no longer reach them.  The needs of an estimated 78,000 people of the estimated 200,000 who have long been inaccessible to humanitarian workers are now estimated to be critical as well.  The United Nations estimates that at least 25 locations where assistance was being delivered late last year are currently cut-off. 

Efforts to reach vulnerable populations have been severely impeded by mine incidents along roads used by humanitarian partners and commercial vehicles.  Since January, at least seven anti-tank and anti-personnel mine accidents have been reported along access routes in Benguela, Bié, Kuando Kubango, Kuanza Sul and Lunda Sul Provinces.  Using armoured vehicles and airdrops, agencies have been able to resume operations in 12 locations in Huambo, Kuanza Sul, Malanje, Lunda Norte and Moxico Provinces, reaching 160,000 beneficiaries.

      Though Angola’s 30-year long conflict ended in April 2002, the humanitarian crisis in Angola remains one of the worst worldwide.   According to Government figures, 3.5 million people, one quarter of the country's entire population, have been displaced as a result of the war.  Since the end of the war, dramatically improved access has increased the caseload for life-saving assistance from 2 to

3 million people.  That improved access, and the people it benefited, are now jeopardized. 

      In addition, some 289,000ex-UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) soldiers and family members, who are dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive, are concentrated in 30 gathering areas and satellites.  More than 1.5 million internally displaced persons and

91,000 refugees have returned to their areas of origin, many to locations where basic services are not yet in place.  Unless urgent steps are taken to stabiliz e at-risk populations and support return movements on the basis of the Norms for the Resettlement of Displaced Populations and the regulamento, the humanitarian crisis may deepen, jeopardiz ing future recovery and reconstruction.

Funds for the United Nations Consolidated Inter-Agency appeal for Angola, which seeks $386 million from donors, are needed urgently to ensure the continuation of key life-saving and resettlement programmes.

      For further information, please contact:  New York - Brian Grogan (212) 963-1143, Geneva - Elizabeth Byrs  41 22 917 2653, Luanda - Victor Builo 244 2 441 072.

* *** *Bureau de la Coordination des Affaires Humanitaires

Regional Support Office for West Africa  - Bureau Regional d’Appui pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest

PRESS RELEASE

US 15.9 million can avert a massive humanitarian crisis in Cote d’Ivoire and the sub-region

UN agencies and other humanitarian actors, estimate that about 3.9 million persons need assistance and support in terms of shelter, water and sanitation, food, health, education and protection IN Côte d'Ivoire AND THE SUB-REGION during the next three months.

On 21 November 2002, humanitarian agencies in Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire launched a Flash Appeal to mobilize US$ 15.9 million to cover from November 2002 to January 2003, the immediate pressing humanitarian needs and to avert a large-scale humanitarian crisis in Côte d’Ivoire and three priority (neighbouring?) countries, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana.

Within Côte d’ Ivoire, justabout US$ 7 million are being sought to provide humanitarian assistance to forover 3.4 million beneficiaries targeted for humanitarian assistanceout of a total population of 15.3 million people (about 20% of the totaloverallpopulation). In Burkina Faso US$ 1.1 million is needed for some 143,600 vulnerable people,   being targeted, while in Ghana just over US$ 819,500 is needed for about 187,000 people. In addition, US$ 818,800 is being sought for about 95,000 evacuees, transiting populations, asylum seekers and host communities targeted for assistance in Mali. A total of US$ 6 million is needed for relevant regional response capacities.  (This is confusing.  How does it add up to the 15.9 million above?)

The working scenario for this flash appealassumesthat a  remains a military stalemate will prevail, with the insurgents holding part of the north, while the Government controls the southern portion of the country. national territory.With an interposition force to be deployed shortly as part of within the context ofthe peace settlement process initiated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), humanitarian organizations are closely monitoring developments and the strain the current crisis is placing on the Ivorian society. This will enable relief organizations to ensure that their operations remain relevant and efficient for those made destitute, homeless or otherwise vulnerable. The number of status quo is expected to exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and multiply the number of people requiring some sort of relief assistance during the next 90 daysis expected to increase. .

[Nature of problem:  IDPs, economic disruption, etc.  Then—what the aid community has done so far.  “In the past weeks the aid community in CDI has”…done what to gear up?  Set up new presence in Yamoussoukro, etc….]

The ability of the humanitarian community including national and international actors to address current emergency needs and more importantly to target relief aid so as to avert a massive humanitarian crisis depends on the swift and equitable allocation of resources for the interventions outlined in the appeal and for other initiatives undertaken to complement efforts included in this Inter-Agency Appeal. This sub-regional crisis, stemming from the situation in c

Cote d’iIvoire,represents a unique opportunity for for the implementation of the concept of cconflict prevention as part of an integral component ofan integrated response to a humanitarian emergency that has the potential to forbecome ing a regional humanitarian tragedy of unmanageable proportions.

For further information please contact:

Mrs. Besida Tonwe

Head of OCHA Regional Support Office for West Africa

Tel: (225) 22405170

Cell phone: (225) 07013663

Ms. Rosa Malango

Humanitarian Affairs Officer, OCHA Regional Support Office for West Africa

Tel: (225) 22405171

Cell phone: (225) 07013664