Bleak new year for refugees as ration cuts loom

Congolese and Angolan refugees in Zambia face a bleak new year with the threat of a 50 percent cut in food rations from 1 January unless urgent funding is secured. The UN World Food Programme (WFP), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the government of Zambia on Friday appealed for US $8.5 million to provide food aid for up to 82,000 refugees. Referring to the proposed cut in rations, WFP country director David Stevenson said in a statement that it was "certainly not our preferred course of action, we simply have no choice". Although WFP had a stable food aid pipeline for refugees up to December this year, the agency has received no contributions for 2006. "This is an extremely serious situation as these refugees live in camps and settlements in remote areas of Zambia and rely entirely on WFP for their food supplies," Stevenson noted. Ahmed Said Farah, UNHCR regional representative in Zambia, warned that there "will be increased morbidity, mortality and stunted growth" among refugees should further funding not be forthcoming. "Social problems, such as prostitution and child labour, will increase and refugees may become uncontrollable as a result of the food cuts. UNHCR shares WFP's concerns and fully supports its call for funds so that we can provide adequate food to refugees in Zambia," Farah added. In September 2004, WFP was forced to reduce rations to refugees for three months to avoid a complete break in food aid. From the 1970s Zambia has hosted refugees from neighbouring countries. Since the end of Angola's long-running civil war in 2002, UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration has organised the voluntary repatriation of over 63,000 Angolans. Many more have returned under their own steam.