Angola: massive increase in ICRC protection and emergency assistance activities
09-08-2002 News Release 02/42
Geneva (ICRC) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) launched an appeal today for a budget extension of 6.2 million Swiss francs, bringing the total budget for its activities in Angola in 2002 to 31.3 million francs – a 25 per cent increase over the amount initially planned (25.1 million).
The death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi on 22 February 2002, followed by the signature of a ceasefire agreement and subsequent peace and reconciliation initiatives, has resulted in a series of new opportunities and challenges for Angola and its people.
Until recently most of the country was off-limits to humanitarian organizations. For some weeks now, the security situation has improved and these organizations have begun to gain access to thousands of severely malnourished people who are being discovered in formerly inaccessible areas. At the same time, there have been massive movements of internally displaced people searching for food and hoping to locate family members with whom they have long lost contact.
Recent field surveys and a current review of its operations in Angola have led the ICRC to expand a number of its protection and assistance programmes.
The ICRC is increasing its efforts to restore contact between family members separated by the conflict and especially to reunite unaccompanied children and demobilized child soldiers with their families, a step which is vital to the stabilization process under way.
Together with other humanitarian organizations, the ICRC will extend its food assistance programmes to extremely vulnerable people living mainly on the Planalto, providing them with additional seed, tools and other supplies, and step up water and sanitation activities in newly accessible areas.
A particular effort will also be ma de to support primary health-care facilities and health posts in parts of Huambo and Bié provinces which, for security reasons, could not be visited in the past. In addition, a major boost will be given to the paediatric ward of Huambo hospital, which has to cope with an increased workload.
The ICRC is currently stepping up community-based mine-awareness programmes and the production of artificial limbs and orthopaedic appliances at workshops supported by the organization and the Ministry of Health.