Aid workers fear influx of IDPs, fighting continues

A government military offensive against UNITA rebels in the eastern Moxico province and other parts of the country continues to force thousands of Angolans from their homes into camps for the displaced and aid agencies fear that many more are on their way. Cristina Muller, spokesperson for the World Food Programme (WFP) in Angola, told IRIN on Wednesday that 2,359 new internally displaced people (IDPs) were registered in Moxico's capital, Luena, last week. This brought the total number of IDPs registered in January to 4,869, she said. "Intense military activity has been reported throughout the province, affecting the movement of people in the region. At the moment government forces are reportedly moving 100-150 people daily by helicopter into the provincial capital Luena, where the situation remains calm. The area along the border with Zambia is reported to be highly insecure, but humanitarian agencies have no access to the region," she said. "Our concern is with the humanitarian situation. What we have here are extremely high numbers of IDPs moving ... WFP has increased the amount of food delivered to Luena from 800 mt to 1,200 mt a month because the number of IDPs has been so high," she added. According to Muller, the majority of people being flown in by the Angolan army arrived in Luena in a state of "moderate malnutrition" - not as bad as they would be if they walked to the capital. After being registered, evaluated and given a month's ration of food, the IDPs were moved to Muachimbo, a camp about 12 km from the capital, she said. "Muachimbo was set up in November with 600 people. Now almost up to 6,000 IDPs are there and the limit for this camp is 7,000. It is quite cold at night and so the incidence of malaria is high. Children are coughing a lot and TB has already been detected in the camp. Also, the water in and around Luena is not completely clean yet," Muller added. According to one aid worker, the government's removal of people from the interior to Luena gave credence to allegations that the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) was forcing peasants into towns to prevent UNITA troops from having access to them. "Basically, those arriving in Luena say they were farmers, but most of them have moved several times. Some moved as far back as 1987 from Benguela with UNITA, providing logistics [to the rebels]. This is the last stronghold of UNITA in terms of human capacity. They [UNITA] have people loyal to them who provide logistical support, usually women who have husbands in the troops or who are there voluntarily," said the worker who spoke on condition of anonymity. According to OCHA, military activity in the interior of the country could also result in the humanitarian crisis deepening in the province of Bie. The latest OCHA situation report on conditions in the central province said "an estimated 22,000 IDPs in critical condition may try to enter Camacupa and Kuito in coming months in search of humanitarian assistance". Muller told IRIN that an IDP camp set up in Camacupa last June now held about 50,000 people. About 4,200 IDPs were at the camp when humanitarian agencies launched a massive operation there last year. "People coming in over the past month were in the same condition as people coming in last May," she said. According to OCHA, an estimated 21,500 IDPs in Camacupa and nearby Cunhinga remain unregistered and without assistance. "Humanitarian partners are operating at full capacity and do not have sufficient resources to respond to additional influxes of IDPs," OCHA warned. It also said that according to nutritional surveys conducted during December, the global malnutrition rate in Kuito IDP camps was 13 percent. "Severe and moderate" malnutrition rates in Camacupa ranged from three to 28 percent, said OCHA. "The security situation remains volatile in the province, limiting humanitarian access to only three of the province's nine municipalities. The FAA has reconfirmed its commitment to providing assistance to populations in areas where humanitarian partners do not have access. Unless assistance is urgently received in these areas, populations are likely to move towards Camacupa and Kuito in coming weeks, putting additional pressure on already overburdened emergency response mechanisms," OCHA said. Muller said the poor condition of the runways in Luena, Kuito and Negage in Uige province continued to limit food distribution. According to OCHA plans are being drafted to address emergency needs in Bie province.