1. Angola

Sub-Saharan Africa

The humanitarian situation in the country has not improved significantly during the reporting period. Continued warfare, including the shelling of cities, laying of landmines and other security incidents, have led to the displacement of one million people since the beginning of this year (total displaced 1.7 million). The situation of the displaced is exacerbated by widespread road closures which severely restrict access and the delivery of humanitarian resources. In addition, the conflict has also constrained the movement of people and goods, and prevented surpluses in some provinces from reaching the deficit areas. Not all areas are equally affected and the nutritional situation is variable. Reports from the northern provinces indicate a reasonable harvest and fair accessibility to crops. The nutritional situation in the central highland provinces, however, is generally thought to very poor and high prevalences of malnutrition are currently being recorded in both resident and displaced populations (UNICEF - 07/99).

The prospects for peace in Angola seem remote; the country has been in a state of civil war since, and even before, its independence. The current crisis, which is the most severe since the Lusaka Peace Protocol was signed in 1994, began in December 1998 when the government launched a major offensive against UNITA. The international community largely holds UNITA responsible for the collapse of the peace process and is trying to tighten sanctions against the organisation. In particular, they are trying to tighten sanctions on diamonds - it is estimated that UNITA earned US $200 million from trading diamonds in 1998 alone (IRIN-SA 08/06/99; UNHCR -11/06/99).

Humanitarian assistance is currently focused on the IDPs within the besieged cities of Huambo, Kuito and Malange. The residents of these cities are also facing difficulties accessing food. Their harvest reserves have been consumed by the army and/or IDPs and labour opportunities are extremely limited due to the war. Thus prevalences of malnutrition are rising in this group (WFP - 08/09/99).

WFP were able to meet approximately 60% of the estimated needs in July. An improvement in the pipeline has meant distribution levels have increased more recently. WFP has expanded its EMOP to provide assistance to 900,000 people until December 1999. In September, 867,00 beneficiaries received WFP food (OCHA - 23/07/99, 24/08/99; WFP - 20/08/99, 20/09/99).

1998/99 Cereal production and food security

Food security is obviously tenuous given the resumption of the civil war and major population displacements. However, satellite imagery and field reports indicated that seasonal rainfall was generally good. National production of cereals in 1998/99 was projected to be 10% below production from 1997/98 as a result of disruption caused by renewed warfare and large population displacements. Although, non-cereals, particularly cassava, grown in northern and central areas are thought to compensate to some extent for this shortfall (FEWS-30/07/99).

Huambo

The very poor situation in Huambo reported in RNIS 27 has not improved significantly, despite humanitarian airlifts to the city since early July. The nutritional situation remains critical and an increased number of residents are being admitted to feeding centres. The airlifts have allowed WFP to re-establish its provincial stocks. However, the airport has been frequently closed because of security incidents, suspending humanitarian deliveries (IRIN-SA - 03/08/99; OCHA - 09/07/99, 16/07/99, 23/07/99, 12/09/99; WFP - 16/07/99).

Food is available in the markets, but is extremely expensive. The government has tried to ease the problem of food supply by distributing land before the planting season in September, and ICRC are providing limited quantities of seeds and tools. These initiatives are handicapped by the lack of secure farm land, as UNITA forces are based just 30 km from the city. Crucially, whatever the harvest yield, it will not be available until December (IRIN-SA -03/08/99; OCHA - 12/09/99).

Malange

Malange has been under siege for a prolonged period of time and as a result international NGOs and the UN have only recently been able to obtain access to the area. Shelling continues sporadically. A Ministry of Health survey conducted in late June/early July estimated the prevalence of acute wasting and/or oedema, at approximately 20-25% and severe wasting and/or oedema was estimated at 5-7% (see Annex). Note that the survey methodology employed is unknown (WFP - 08/09/99).

Reports from WFP, MSF-H and World Vision confirm that the nutritional situation in Malange is grave. Anecdotal reports indicate that mortality from nutrition-related diseases is high. There are now an estimated 49,000 IDP families (196,000 people) in the city. WFP have begun to provide food assistance in the reporting period, although there is no general food distribution for residents, but registration of vulnerable residents is underway. There are over 1,500 children in the MSF-H therapeutic feeding centres, and selective feeding is generally considered a priority. The number of community kitchens has also increased, they are now assisting over 60,600 persons (IRIN - 14/9/99; IRIN-SA - 30/07/99; MSF-H - 29/07/99; OCHA - 12/09/99; WFP -16/07/99, 03/09/99, 07/09/99).

More recently, the road from Luanda to Malange has been opened and WFP food convoys have been able to reach the city. Transportation between WFP warehouses and distribution points in Malange is difficult, as there are very few commercial transporters left within the city. The increase in food assistance has led to a decrease in market prices, however should the roads be closed again the situation will deteriorate rapidly (WFP - 27/08/99, 08/09/99).

Plans are underway to resettle the IDP families on land within a security perimeter around the city before the next planting season. The amount of land set aside, however, is insufficient and efforts continue to identify more land. There are also insufficient non-food items for the resettlement programmes (OCHA - 24/08/99, 12/09/99).

Kuito, Bie Province

The bombardment of Kuito (estimated population 250,000 of which 72,000 are IDPs) continues sporadically. Heavy fighting in early September in the areas surrounding the city has resulted in non-essential staff being relocated (WFP - 13/09/99). The nutritional situation has deteriorated rapidly in the past four months. In a survey undertaken in March 1999, MSF-B estimated the prevalence of acute wasting at 4.3% among children under five years. This had risen to 12.7% by mid-July. Severe wasting was estimated at 3.5% in July, including 2.7% oedema (see Annex). There has been a concomitant increase in the attendance figures at supplementary and therapeutic feeding centres (Epicentre/MSF-B - 28/07/99).

The authors of the survey suggest that the nutritional situation in Kuito will deteriorate further. Reasons given for this include the poor coverage of the general food distributions provided - only 33.6% of households in the sample received food at the last distribution or from community kitchens (approximately 25,000 of the most "at risk" people received food at the end of June and July). In addition, the coverage of the feeding programmes was low at 13.2% for supplementary feeding centre and 14.3% for the therapeutic centre.

High mortality rates were recorded in both the general population and the under-fives (CMR 2.2/10,000/day; U5MR 3.3/10,000/day). CMR was more than double the level usually defined as a "serious situation". It is probable that the high CMR is not due to the nutritional situation alone and that other public health problems need to be identified and controlled. For example, measles immunisation coverage was low, at 33.5%. The rainy season is approaching which will increase the risk of a series of medical problems including diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections and malaria.

Approximately 14,000 families have planted in lowland fields under WFP-supported agricultural resettlement activities in the Kuito area. If security conditions permit more families will join them (WFP - 13/09/99).

Cuito Canavale

A brief visit to assess the food and nutritional situation of the population in an IDP camp in Cuito Canavale was made by ACF-S in mid-June. The main findings of the assessment included a lack of purchasing power and cash income among most of the displaced population who do not have access to land. The market contained only a limited selection of foods. Most of the families existed on a day-to-day basis, buying food only one day at a time. In addition, the environmental and public health conditions were reported to be very poor (ACH-S - 18/06/99).

Uige

There have been reports of increased fighting in Uige, and of further population displacements. An unknown number of people have been killed. Reception centres for the approximately 10,000 IDPs have been set-up. The nutritional situation in Uige was reported to be under control in the latest UNICEF report, but may begin to deteriorate if the security situation worsens. The road corridor between Lubango and Benguela province and Menongue in Kuando Kubango province remains closed and market prices are extremely high (OCHA - 12/09/99; UNICEF - 07/99; WFP - 13/09/99, 27/08/99).

Overall, the situation for many Angolan IDPs remains critical, particularly in the three besieged cities. High prevalences of malnutrition have been recorded in these cities, and although humanitarian efforts to provide assistance are underway, the situation could deteriorate further if security conditions become worse (category I). Unknown numbers of residents in these cities are considered at high risk. The situation in the rest of the country is generally considered to be better and it is assumed that the IDPs who are provided with assistance by WFP in these areas remain at moderate risk (category IIb). The nutritional situation of the remaining IDPs is unknown (category III).

Priorities and recommendations:

· Support negotiations for a peace agreement in Angola through diplomacy and economic pressure.

· Supply funds to support humanitarian operations in Angola. The UN 1999 appeal for Angola has been revised upwards from approximately US $66.6 million to US $106 million. The WFP EMOP for Angola currently has a 34% shortfall of the requirements (WFP - 03/09/99).

· Include vulnerable residents in food distributions in the affected areas.

· Support the agricultural resettlement programme for IDPs in the besieged cities of Malange, Huambo and Kuito.

· Expand therapeutic and supplementary feeding centres which are still considered a priority for assistance.

· Increase the coverage of the general food distributions to encompass all vulnerable groups in both the resident and the displaced populations. Assess the content and quality of the rations provided through regular food monitoring programmes.

· Increase the capacity of the supplementary and therapeutic feeding centre programmes.

· Conduct an active case search for all malnourished children. Refer all malnourished children to the feeding programmes.

· Organise a mass vaccination campaign against measles targeting all children aged 6-59 months as soon as possible.

· Implement a surveillance system for mortality and priority diseases.

· Assess public health problems.

· Conduct a further anthropometric survey after the rainy season, and also a food security study. This should assist in the identification of the most vulnerable groups.

· Monitor the nutritional situation, using routinely collected data from health centres.

· Re-visit the region as soon as security conditions permit, and undertake a food security and anthropometric survey in order to assess the nutritional situation further, and identify vulnerable groups within the population.