UN seeks fresh donor funding

UN agencies providing humanitarian relief in Angola have said that they will need extra donor funding because of a huge increase in the number of internally displaced people and because growing insecurity has forced them to deliver all food, medical and other relief by air. In its weekly report on the Angolan crisis, the UN Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unit (UCAH) said UN agencies had felt there was a need to revise the UN Consolidated Appeal for 1999 upwards. It said WFP had estimated food aid needs for 1999 to be in the order of 79,000 mt based on a total of 530,000 beneficiaries. To assist this large number of people, and taking into account a carryover of 40,000 mt from 1998, WFP had appealed for 39,000 mt of food supplies through the 1999 UN Consolidated Appeal. “However, and with the escalation of the conflict over recent weeks and the considerable increase in the number of vulnerable people requiring assistance, WFP is urgently requesting another 19,950 metric tons of food to cover the unforeseen needs of the first half of this year,” the report said. The total number of beneficiaries assisted by WFP would thus rise to 779,000 persons of whom 524,000 are internally displaced persons. It said that insecure road access throughout the country and the need for increased volumes of emergency food assistance had forced WFP to redesign its logistical arrangements. With many areas only reachable by air, WFP would “have to substantially increase” air transportation. Thus, an additional US $9.5 million would be needed for airlift operations of emergency food assistance over the next six months. UNICEF-Angola had said extra funds would be required for air transport, implementation support, and extra supplies to meet growing needs. “Specifically, immunization requirements have increased from the original request of US $1,480,000 to US $2,500,000 reflecting the need to undertake more campaign style emergency actions in addition to fixed post delivery of services, especially to combat measles. With the concentration of displaced people in urban and peri-urban areas, and with a greater number of camps, immunization becomes a major priority,” the report added. The greater number of IDPs and war-affected host communities would also require more essential drugs, and UNICEF had therefore increased the original quantity required to US $1,660,000. Although WFP will continue its coordination of air operations in Angola, UNICEF will require financial support for the air transport of its own non-food supplies within the appeal. UNICEF therefore needs an estimated US $1 million for air transport of these non-food supplies. WHO also considers that there is an increased potential for epidemics and cases of malnutrition due to the current conflict making the monitoring of the health situation in Angola critical for the prevention of serious health related crises. It is thus also appealing for extra funding to continue its early warning information network. “It is imperative at this point to receive donor support early in the year in order to ensure that relief supplies can be replenished and transported,” it said.