Bridge building project aims to increase access

Limited access to populations in need remains a problem for humanitarian agencies working in Angola. In its latest situation report the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that "due to security restrictions, WFP has not been able to access the large majority of Kuando Kubango province [in the south of the country]. As a result, critical food shortages in areas south of Mavinga continue to lead to new displacements of people [who have moved] to Mavinga in search of food assistance". These new arrivals were being assisted with WFP emergency rations. "Kuando Kubango province is noted for having some of the worst conditions in the country and the areas south of Mavinga have seen over 10,000 displaced by hunger and floods in recent months. The province saw some of the worst fighting during the war and is heavily mined," WFP added. Marcelo Spina-Hering, WFP spokesman in Luanda, told IRIN on Tuesday that Kaundo Kubango was one of four provinces which humanitarian agencies have been unable to access satisfactorily. "We still have not reached a lot of parts in Kuando Kubango, areas that have not been properly de-mined and assessed. It's one of the provinces - the others being Bie, Huambo and Kuanza Sul - where access has been difficult," he said. Spina-Hering added that "we are trying to prioritise areas where there's humanitarian need" which have been difficult to reach. He said a number of initiatives aimed at addressing the problem were under way, including a bridge building programme supported by the Swedish government. "[Soon] we'll be inaugurating the first two of a series of bridges WFP is building in Angola. The two bridges are in the province of Huambo, and there's going to be a total of about 15 bridges [nationally]. WFP is trying to overcome this problem of access. Access [to people in need] is denied most of the time because of land mines or broken bridges, so at least we are trying to minimise the problem of broken bridges," Spina-Hering said. The government of Angola had estimated that some 400 bridges were in need of repair or rebuilding. Apart from opening up areas to the humanitarian agencies in Angola, the bridge building project hoped to "allow the flow of people and goods into those communities, which will be positive for the local economy", Spina-Hering said. In Kuando Kubango, WFP was able to reach Mavinga only by aircraft. This, was an "expensive operation, but at least we are meeting the demands, keeping up the delivery of food aid". "Ideally of course, we would like to gain access to all the locations, so people are able to stay where they want, and not have to go to Mavinga because it's the only place they can get food. Ideally, people should be able to stay in their [home areas] or areas of resettlement, without having to leave to find food [assistance]," Spina-Hering added. "We are concerned also because of the approach of the rainy season, as the situation in whatever areas we cannot access now can only deteriorate when the rains come," he noted.