UNHCR concern at Angolan refugees influx

As an Angolan government offensive against UNITA rebels pushes south, hundreds of refugees are crossing the country’s southern border into Namibia creating what the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has called a “dramatic, new humanitarian crisis”. In the past week alone, 2,300 Angolans, most of them women, children and elderly people have fled across the border and set up informal bush camps in the Kavango district without food, shelter, water or sanitation facilities. Hesdy G. Rathling, UNHCR’s Senior Liaison Officer in Namibia, told IRIN on Tuesday that he had launched an appeal for “immediate, emergency assistance”. With the refugee numbers projected to rise to at least 5,000, he said UNCHR was also in contact with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Childrens’ Fund (UNICEF) in an effort to bring urgent relief. “Right now these people have nothing, and we do not have emergency resources to help them. They are extremely vulnerable. We need transport, food, shelter and medical assistance urgently. The Namibian government needs all the help we can provide,” he said. “As the fighting continues we expect more to cross over at any time now. Even as I speak, we are hearing of fresh fighting in the border zone and people are coming over. So far, we can only be thankful that there has been no outbreak of disease. But we are expecting their numbers to double and that is the projection for which we have to prepare.” During the current rainy season, he said the refugees were vulnerable to malaria and other water-borne diseases. Their safety was also at risk because of their proximity to the border. Meanwhile, humanitarian sources in Windhoek confirmed local newspaper accounts that people in the Namibian border town of Nkurenkuru had actually watched last Thursday as the UNITA garrison of Cuangar fell to Angolan government forces. In the battle, which resulted in one of the refugee influxes, a source told IRIN: “The town fell within an hour as people on this side of the border stood and watched. There seemed to be little resistance, and UNITA rebels either reportedly fled into the bush or surrendered. But hundreds of refugees crossed over to this side, and there is more fighting in the south of Angola.” Rathling said the refugees were now camped in the bush near the remote Kahenge police station. The border entry point at the Namibian outpost of Rundu, he added, did not have the facilities to process people fleeing in large numbers. UNHCR, which he said enjoyed “excellent” collaboration with the government, hoped to move the refugees to a safer zone further south at Osire, near Otjiwarongo some 230 km north of the Namibian capital, Windhoek. “But we need the resources to do this and this is why we have appealed for urgent emergency funding,” he added.