Aid needed for Angolan refugees, WFP

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that it is running "dangerously low" on rations for Angolan refugees in Namibia. "A corn-soya blend pipeline break [is] expected in June and breaks for virtually all other commodities in the food basket, including the staple maize meal, in July. Donations are urgently needed for the WFP emergency refugee operation, which is expected to feed about 16,000 refugees in Osire camp and support the planned repatriation [programme] over the next 12 months," WFP said in its latest situation report. WFP Namibia head, Abdirahman Meygag, told IRIN on Monday that the aid pipeline was threatened "basically due to a lack of food available in the country". "We've just finalised our new programme, which will take care of 16,000 refugees who are living in Namibia. It will run from June [2003] to May 2004. We are now appealing to donors - it's an early warning to donors that we need funding," he said. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was organising the repatriation of refugees from July onwards, Meygag added. A select group of refugees, UNHCR staff, NGOs and government representatives crossed the Angola border on Monday on a "go-and-see" mission, during which "refugees themselves will assess the situation [in areas of return] and share the information with those in Namibia", he said. However, the situation in Osire refugee camp was worrying. "It's very urgent that funding is received for the feeding of refugees until these people go back [to Angola]. These people are confined to the camp, they cannot access land to cultivate food, they cannot seek employment ... they're entirely dependent on food aid, so if there's no food aid the malnutrition situation will deteriorate," Meygag warned.