|
|
|
Due to resource constraints, IRIN is not updating the country profile below.
Updated humanitarian country information can be found instead at the Angola country page on ReliefWeb [http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc104?OpenForm&rc=1&cc=ago].
|
|
|
 ANGOLA
Humanitarian Country Profile |
|
Background
|
Last update: March 2007 |
Angola, in southwest Africa, was originally populated by the San people (Bushmen), then by Bantu-speaking tribes. After its first encounter with the Portuguese in 1482, the country became a link on the trade route to India and Southeast Asia, and forced labour and slavery soon flourished. By the mid-1800s, an estimated three million slaves had been shipped to Portuguese plantations in Brazil.
After nearly five centuries as a Portuguese colony, the 1960s saw the rise of various independence groups and guerrilla warfare. In 1974, Portugal, tired of the war, agreed to hand over power to a coalition of the three major Angolan nationalist organisations - the MPLA, UNITA and FNLA. Civil war broke out almost immediately after independence in 1975. The country became a Cold War battleground as the MPLA and rural-based UNITA vied for power over the next 27 years.
In 2002, the death of UNITA rebel leader Jonas Savimbi ended the civil war but the impact on the country has been immense: an estimated 1.5 million people lost their lives, hundreds of thousands were displaced, infrastructure was destroyed, more than half a million faced starvation when peace returned and about eight million landmines littered the country.
Four years of peace and an oil-generated economic boom – Angola is the second-largest producer in sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria – have done little to mask the scars of its past and Angolans are among the continent’s poorest people.
Peace and security
The aftermath of the war presents almost overwhelming challenges: reintegrating the armed forces, rebuilding infrastructure and social services, de-mining the country, and repatriating and resettling thousands of refugees and displaced people.
The yawning gap in wealth could become a hot issue: despite economic growth of 16.7 percent in 2006, expected to reach 20.8 percent in 2007 (according to the Economist Intelligence Unit), social services have yet to reach most Angolans.
An estimated 60 percent of Angola’s oil wealth is produced in Cabinda, a sliver of land separated from mainland Angola by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Although Cabinda is internationally recognised as part of Angola, separatists claim the enclave. The government has sent thousands of troops to suppress a rebellion. In 2006 a peace agreement was brokered between the government and a former leader of the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), who claims to represent the Cabinda Forum for Dialogue (FDC) – the body representing the enclave's secessionist movements – but the deal has not been recognised by the majority of FDC and FLEC members.
IDPs/Refugees
Almost 500,000 Angolans fled the 27-year war, seeking refuge mainly in Zambia, Namibia, the Republic of Congo and the DRC, but also in Botswana and South Africa. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that four million internally displaced persons and more than 350,000 refugees have returned since it began a voluntary repatriation programme for Angolan refugees after the 2002 peace accord was signed, but nearly 216,000 refugees linger abroad and 62,000 people are still displaced.
Angola presents a variety of obstacles to those returning home. The worst-affected areas lack basic services - such as education, health and access to clean drinking water - and have limited local administrative capacity. Landmines make cultivation hazardous. Most families, desperately poor and food insecure, struggle to meet basic needs.
Most of the resettled people are still without land, decent shelter, food, healthcare, jobs, education and identification documents.
Democracy and governance
A year after self-rule was granted by Portugal in 1974, civil war broke out among Angola’s independence movements – the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The United States, Zaire (as it was then) and South Africa intervened in favour of the FNLA and UNITA, while Cuba, backed by the Soviet Union, supported the MPLA.
The MPLA controlled the capital, Luanda, and declared independence in 1975. South African troops invaded but their advance was stopped by MPLA and Cuban forces. For the next decade South African forces controlled a large part of southern Angola, providing support and protection to UNITA.
When Cold War tensions eased, a 1985 agreement brokered by the United States and Portugal led to elections in 1992. The MPLA won 49 percent of the vote and UNITA took 40 percent. UNITA leader Savimbi claimed election fraud and resumed fighting. A negotiated settlement, the ‘Lusaka Protocol’, was meant to usher in a government of national unity, but Savimbi refused to abide by its terms. In 1998 the government launched an offensive, which culminated in Savimbi’s death in 2002. UNITA and the MPLA promptly signed a ceasefire, and UNITA officially demobilised its armed forces and declared itself a political party.
Jose Eduardo dos Santos has been president since 1979, having taken over after the death of Angola’s first president, Agostinho Neto. General elections are likely to take place in 2008. Dos Santos is expected to stand as the MPLA candidate.
Income in oil-rich Angola is concentrated in the hands of a few, according to the US State Department, and poverty remains widespread. There has been increasing international pressure on Angola to improve transparency and accountability and there has been some progress. Nonetheless, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - after consultations with the Angolan government - highlighted that Angola had not fully responded to recommendations for ensuring transparency in managing oil revenues. Angola has instead used oil-backed commercial loans - the biggest with China – to finance its recovery programme. Angola is perceived by global corruption watchdog Transparency International as the 151st most corrupt country on a list of 158.
Media
Press freedom is of concern to journalists in private as well as government-owned media outlets. Although matters have improved dramatically since the 2002 peace accord – UNITA and the MPLA each dominated the press in the areas they controlled – the government still very much determines what people hear and see. Private radio stations operate in some cities, but state-run radio is the only broadcaster available across much of the country, and the only daily newspaper is state-owned.
Despite constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression, journalists are often subject to intimidation; the few private media outlets are frequently harassed and there are reports of self-censorship. Some privately owned radio stations and newspapers in Luanda have, however, been critical of the government.
Economy
Angola has vast natural resources, with the potential for a diversified and prosperous economy, but the chaos after 27 years of conflict means subsistence agriculture provides the main source of livelihood for 85 percent of the population, many of whom face growing food insecurity.
According to the IMF, Angola’s economy recovery is on course. Gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded US$23 billion in 2004 and grew by about 18 percent in 2005. The oil sector accounts for more than 90 percent of exports and has been the driving force behind the improvement in overall economic activity. By end-2005, oil output exceeded 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd), second to Nigeria in sub-Saharan Africa.
The growth of the non-oil sector has lagged and Angola continues to be dependent on imports and food aid for about half its cereal requirements. However, a post-war reconstruction boom is under way, and the government has announced plans to rehabilitate and expand the country’s infrastructure. Some projects have been completed, and there are also signs of a more sustained growth in agriculture.
IMF projections suggest that oil output will surpass two million bpd in 2007 and 90 percent above 2005 levels by 2010. This implies GDP growth of about 15 percent in 2006 and average annual GDP growth rates of more than 13 percent between 2007 and 2010.
Population
According to United Nations figures for 2004, Angola has a population of 15.5 million with an average projected growth rate of 2.7 percent between 2004 and 2015. An estimated 25 percent to 30 percent of the population lives in urban areas and nearly half the population is younger than 15.
Angola has more than 90 different ethnic groups. Although Portuguese is the official language, 41 indigenous languages are also spoken and more than 90 percent of the population speak Bantu languages. The majority of people practise traditional African religions; about 38 percent are Catholic and 15 percent are Protestant.
Development indicators
With the government’s failure to turn natural wealth into better lives for its citizens, Angola is one of the world's poorest and most underdeveloped nations, ranked 161st out of 177 in the UN’s 2006 Human Development Index. Nearly half the population lacks access to safe drinking water and life expectancy is 40.7 years. There is an amputee population of 70,000, of whom 8,000 are children.
Official development aid stood at US$1.144 billion in 2004. However, donors have signalled that they expect the government to shoulder far more of the burden, despite their recognition of technical capacity constraints in implementing programmes.
Education
Prolonged civil conflict left the educational sector in a state of disarray and the UN Human Development Report put adult literacy at 67.4 percent in 2004. The report also indicates clear gender disparities: the male adult literacy rate in 2004 was 82.9 percent compared with 54.2 percent for women.
An estimated 80 percent of schools in Angola have been destroyed or abandoned since 1998. Millions of children do not attend school for reasons ranging from poor water and sanitation to inability to pay school fees. Schools are plagued by overcrowded and multi-aged classrooms, a lack of basic teaching and learning materials, and poor infrastructure.
At present, a large number of primary school-aged children are out of school, the majority girls. Few and poorly qualified and trained teachers have a negative impact not only on enrolment and attendance but also on the quality of education and learning.
Children
Forty years of almost continuous war devastated basic health and education services, contributing to one of the world’s worst child mortality rates. According to 2004 UN figures, the infant mortality rate was 154 per 1,000 live births, with the under-five mortality rate at 260 – the third highest in the world.
Almost half Angola’s children are out of school, 45 percent suffer chronic malnutrition, and a quarter of all children die before their fifth birthday, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
More than one in 10 children under age 14 has lost one or both parents and 43,000 are separated from their families. Countrywide there are thought to be more than 10,000 street children, driven to urban areas by poverty, of whom an estimated 5,000 are in Luanda. Nearly a third of children aged five to 14 are working. According to UNICEF, child trafficking is an emerging problem.
Health
Life expectancy improved from 37.9 years in 1975 but remained low at 40.7 years in 2005. There are only eight physicians for every 100,000 people. With 1,700 deaths per 100,000 live births Angola has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world.
Malaria is the largest single cause of child morbidity and mortality and the greatest public health problem, according to UNICEF. Poor nutrition is also a major reason for the high levels of child morbidity and mortality. Worsening household poverty and food insecurity – 62 percent of the population is undernourished – continue to contribute to the extremely high rates of wasting among children.
Cholera claimed more than 2,200 lives in 2006. The government has put the number of people affected by the cholera epidemic at 54,000, but observers say the real figures were undoubtedly higher. The causes underpinning the epidemic, such as treatment of sewage and drinking water, have yet to be addressed and health experts fear that if sanitation is not improved, cholera outbreaks will recur every rainy season.
HIV/AIDS
The civil war in Angola did much to isolate it from HIV/AIDS. Relative to neighbouring countries, prevalence rates are low; but so is awareness of the virus. According to UNICEF, the government has made combating HIV/AIDS a national priority, and has set up agencies to provide counselling and testing, and teach prevention techniques. The nationwide ‘Defend Life, Learn About AIDS’ campaign trained 9,500 teachers and distributed educational manuals to 600,000 students, informing them of the risks of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Although limited information on HIV sero-prevalence in Angola is available, UNAIDS estimates the prevalence rate for people aged 15 to 49 at 3.7 percent, and deaths due to AIDS-related illnesses at 30,000 annually. There are 35,000 children up to the age of 14 living with HIV.
Food security
Food vulnerability affected about 3.5 million people when the conflict ended in 2002, and still severely restricts agricultural production. Hundreds of thousands are still displaced, and many farming families have not returned to their land, while many others who have are often prevented from working large areas of farmland because it is still infested by landmines. In 2004 nearly 24 percent of Angolans faced extreme food insecurity. Although reconstruction is under way, devastated infrastructure continues to restrict the availability of key inputs - such as seed and fertiliser – and marketing of produce.
According to UN data, 31 percent of children younger than five are underweight and 38 percent of the population is undernourished. Donors have become reluctant to fund operations in Angola, arguing the government should use its economic growth to address poverty. As a result, funding shortfalls have forced the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) to reduce the number of people it feeds (443,974 in 2006) and the food rations it distributes, handing over responsibility for food assistance to the government.
Gender issues
Gender inequity and the problem of discrimination against women remain strong, particularly in rural areas, despite legislation to the contrary. Violence against women is widespread and spousal abuse is common. The educational situation of girls and women is also poor: according to the UNDP Human Development Report 2006, the female literacy rate is 54.2 percent against 82.9 percent for men. Human Rights Watch reports that many displaced female heads of households in Angola were afraid to be repatriated due to fear of inadequate protection, insecurity and concern over their children’s schooling, which was provided in the camps.
Human rights
According to Human Rights Watch, h “The government continues to violate Angolans’ rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly,” and “much remains to be done to create an environment in which free and fair elections can take place, and to extend civil and political rights to all Angolans.” The lack of transparency in the government’s use of oil revenues, abuses against civilians by the Angolan military and police forces, political tension and the secessionist movements in the Cabinda enclave were also causes for concern.
Humanitarian needs
Angola still needs assistance to bridge the transition from humanitarian crisis to post-conflict recovery. More than two-thirds of the country's 16 million people live on US$2 or less a day, and four million of those survive on US$0.75 or less a day.
According to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2005 Progress Report on Angola, the gap between rich and poor is widening. The US State Department noted the country's wealth is “concentrated in the hands of a small elite, who often used government positions for massive personal enrichment". Aid and assistance in reconstructing healthcare and education systems are also needed as is the protection of human rights, water and sanitation, food aid and health and nutrition. |
|
|
| Angola in figures | · Population: 15.5 million
· Pop. growth rate: 2.7%
· GDP per capita: US$2,180
· Debt service of GDP: 10.5%
· Pop. below poverty line (US$1 a day): N/A
· Life expectancy: 41 years
· Infant mortality: 154 per 1,000
· Population undernourished: 38%
· HIV prevalence: 3.7%
· Access to clean water: 53%
· Access to electricity: N/A
· Adult literacy rate: 67.4 %
· Doctors/people: 8 per 100,000 people
· Displaced people: 62,000
· Refugees: 216,000
· Human Development Index: 0.439 (HDI 2006 Rank 161)
Source: UNDP |
| Basic facts | Capital: Luanda
Language: Portuguese (official), Umbundu, Kimbundu, Kikongo and other Bantu-group languages
Ethnic Groups: Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, others 22%
Religions: Traditional 57%; Catholic 38%; Protestant 15%
Geography: Tropical in the north and savannah on the central Planalto plateau
Border Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Namibia
Natural Resources: Oil, diamonds, minerals, fish, timber
Agriculture Produce: Bananas, coffee, corn, cotton, manioc, sisal, sugarcane, livestock
Sources: EIU, BBC, Reuters AlertNet |
|