SA humanitarian fund for Angola

Responding to the dire humanitarian situation in Angola, the South African government has declared May 15 to May 23 ‘Angola Focus Week’ and launched a new humanitarian fund for the war-ravaged nation.

A foreign ministry spokeswoman told IRIN on Monday the action involved a “people to people” campaign whereby the South African government wanted to inform the South African public, through the involvement of groups such as churches and non-governmental organisations (NGO’s), about the current situation in Angola.

An important aspect of the campaign was the establishment of a special “Angola Fund” which would allow the South African public and organisations to make cash donations for humanitarian relief efforts in Angola. She said disbursements are to take place through international agencies and NGO’s represented in Angola.

Adelaide Tambo a member of parliament and widow of former African National Congress leader, Oliver Tambo, has been appointed chairperson of the fund.

The spokeswoman told IRIN that the Department of Welfare was taking the lead in mobilising and coordinating the collection of donations from the public.

Last week the Ithuba Trust became the first South African organisation to donate to the fund contributing about US $14,000.

Zoraida Mesa, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Angola, said in a recent UN report that: “The humanitarian situation is alarming. If current trends continue, the situation in Angola could deteriorate to the point of a crisis.”

Key findings of the report said that humanitarian assistance was good where security was good. Food rations had to be increased. Gaps were found in humanitarian coverage in farming, health, non-food items, water, sanitation and shelter. Conditions are most acute in poorly managed transit centres. Most displaced people are dependent on aid, and none of the hospitals or health posts visited had sufficient essential medicines. Many had no medicine at all. It also found that children throughout Angola have not been vaccinated against life-threatening diseases.