WFP extends emergency operation

The number of Angolan refugees fleeing into Namibia because of insecurity along the common border has forced an extension of WFP’s Namibian emergency operation until next January, the UN agency said in a statement. WFP said new refugee arrivals are crossing the Kavango river into Namibia as the war between Angolan government forces and the rebel UNITA movement intensifies, particularly in Angola’s southeastern Kuando Kubango province and on the Namibian side of the river. Namibia currently accommodates 11,000 Angolans at the Osire refugee camp located 400 km south of the border. This number, said WFP, is likely to increase to at least 15,000 in the coming weeks. “Most refugees arrive in Namibia having walked long distances without food or water,” said Ronald Sibanda, WFP’s representative in Angola. He added that the refugees bring very few belongings with them and have little means to raise their own food or earn money to buy it. WFP said it has been providing food assistance to the 11,000 refugees at Osire since the beginning of the year at a cost of about US $500,000. The agency said the refugees depend entirely on food assistance for their survival as there is no agricultural land available at the camp. “An additional US $700,000 will therefore be required to cover food assistance to the camp for the next six months,” said WFP. It added that it plans to distribute food on a family basis in the form of a dry ration according to the number of family members. “Should specific programmes for therapeutic or supplementary feeding be necessary, WFP will also provide the basic foods for such programmes,” said WFP.