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Angolan children and women in desperate need

Tuesday, 15 September 1998: "Fatigue over the drawn-out peace process in Angola should not jeopardize the survival of the millions of children and women in desperate need of continued humanitarian assistance," said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy today. The UNICEF chief visited Angola earlier this year and saw for herself the dire plight of the people.

"Angolan children and women need our help now more than ever," she said. "Over 20 years of civil war have devastated the country's infrastructure, and deteriorating security over recent months has forced thousands more families to flee their homes. The needs for basic necessities of life – food, shelter, clean water and health care – are both urgent and immense."

Over 250,000 Angolans, 65 per cent of whom are children and women, have recently been displaced in the country and represent a swelling of the more than 700,000 whose lives were already displaced at the beginning of 1998.

Angola currently ranks 156 among 174 nations on the United Nations Development Programme's latest Human Development Index and has an infant mortality rate of 170 per 1000 live births, exceeded only by Niger's 191 deaths per 1000.

So far the interagency humanitarian appeal for US$91 million, coordinated by OCHA and launched in Luanda in February by the UNICEF Executive Director on behalf of all UN agencies, is only about 37 per cent funded. "It is critical that the international community and humanitarian agencies increase their efforts at this time to help the people of Angola," Ms. Bellamy asserted.

The Government and UNITA, the main rebel group, signed a peace accord in 1994 which purported to end the conflict in Angola, and a Government of National Unity and Reconciliation was established in 1997. However, full implementation of the peace process remains to be achieved, and the recent deteriorating security environment has necessitated restriction of most UN and NGO programmes to provincial capitals and the immediate surrounding areas.

"Yet it is heartening to note that, despite all the difficulties facing Angolans at this time, important work is still being carried out by our partners," said Ms. Bellamy. "Particularly notable are the National Immunization Days, which are going ahead as planned."

Nearly three million Angolan children under five years need to be given the polio vaccine free of charge during this campaign. Already, in the first phase of the campaign at the end of August, 550,000 children had received polio vaccine drops.

"Health workers make long, arduous and sometimes hazardous trips to vaccinate children throughout this vast country," Ms. Bellamy noted. "Banditry and landmines pose additional threats to health workers in the territories and regions where much of the work has to be done."

Landmines are responsible for Angola having one of the world's largest populations of amputees. Many of the estimated 50,000 to 80,000 amputees are children and women.

"We admire the dedication of all those involved in this campaign," added Ms. Bellamy.

The immunization campaign, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and non-governmental organizations, has benefited from comprehensive media coverage and the efforts of nearly 4,000 Angolan health workers who are participating throughout the country. WFP and the UN Observer Mission, MONUA, have also lent invaluable logistics support.

"So much more still needs to be done," said Ms. Bellamy. "Despite Angola's abundant natural wealth in natural resources, years of war have left most of the country's estimated twelve million people in absolute poverty and their children fighting for survival."

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