Repatriation of refugees nears completion

The repatriation of Angolan refugees from camps and settlements in the region is drawing to a close, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said. "By the end of October, virtually all refugees should have returned and UNHCR convoys and airlifts will stop," the agency said in a statement. More than 300,000 Angolans have returned home since 2002, either on UNHCR convoys and airlifts or on their own steam. The agency noted that on arrival in Angola, the returnees receive a UNHCR reintegration package with basic non-food items such as building materials and agricultural tools as well as one months' food rations from the World Food Programme. "We plan to repatriate another 53,000 Angolans during the next seven months. After that, the three-year period of assisted repatriation will be concluded. As of 2006, UNHCR will not provide transport but we will still offer repatriation packages for those who return spontaneously," Annette Nyekan, UNHCR's acting representative in Angola, was quoted as saying. As in all major repatriation operations, a residual group might decide not to return home for various reasons, UNHCR said. "These individuals are usually locally settled and well integrated in their countries of asylum," noted Nyekan. A group of 3,000 refugees in the Republic of Congo have not yet decided to repatriate. Most of them originate from the Angolan enclave of Cabinda, where sporadic clashes between the Angolan army and separatist groups continue. BEYOND 2005 Once its repatriation programme has ended, UNHCR will shift focus "from bringing people back home to making their return sustainable", according to Jose Samaniego, head of the agency's Angolan unit. He referred to the agency's four R strategy: Repatriation, Reintegration, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction. "The first R is nearly done, now we are concentrating on the other three," Samaniego said. The majority of the refugees are returning to isolated and remote areas in Moxico, Cuando Cubango, Zaire and Uige, which were the four provinces worst affected by the three decades long war. Returning refugees often find themselves in a difficult situation. Large parts of the country are littered with landmines. The infrastructure has been destroyed by the war, basic services are lacking and job opportunities are scarce. UNHCR's policy for 2006 will help to bridge the "relief to development" gap which regularly occurs in post-conflict situations as relief funds dry up but development aid is not yet forthcoming. The agency said its operational budget reflected this change in the focus of its activities. "This year, US $10 million is being divided evenly between repatriation activities and general reintegration, whereas in 2006 the bulk of the budget will be allocated for reintegration projects," the agency said. "We need to assist the population of those areas which are most affected by refugee returns," added Samaniego. A UNHCR technical expert has been working with the Angolan government and liaising with other UN agencies and donors to develop a reintegration framework for key areas of return. "Planning is done in a three-step process: Once the needs are identified by the ministries and UNHCR, projects are developed locally. The local administration and the sobas (traditional leaders) of the area are involved to make sure that the plans really meet the needs of the population. Only then are the donors asked for funding," UNHCR said. UNHCR-supported projects cover a wide range of areas, including water and sanitation, health, education, income generation and road repairs. While the agency has been concentrating its efforts more and more on the post-return phase, "the repatriation clock is counting down". However, UNHCR pointed out that the current outbreak of acute hemorrhagic fever in Uige province in northern Angola threatens the start of returns to Sakamdica and possibly Lunda Norte. The highly contagious disease, called Marburg virus, has reportedly claimed 96 lives so far, and for the time being, the UN has suspended all non-essential travel to Uige province. Meanwhile, convoys and airlifts from neighbouring countries to other Angolan provinces will continue once the rainy season ends in April/May.