Malnutrition rises in Kuito

The number of severely malnourished persons attending the therapeutic feeding centre (TFC) in Kuito in the central Bie province is continuing to increase, OCHA said in it latest update on Tuesday. “In February 45 cases were recorded; in March, 148; in April, 328. Within the first ten days of May, 188 persons had been admitted. Of this number, 37 percent are from Camacupa and 33 percent from the Camacupa IDP (internally displaced persons) camp,” it said. OCHA added that according to humanitarian partners, mortality rates at the TFC reached 25.6 percent during the last week of April.

OCHA said that because of the large number of children who have been brought from Camacupa to Kuito, WFP increased the food supply available to the Médecins Sans Frontiéres - Belgium (MSF-B) feeding centre in Kuito. In addition, it added, the NGO Concern was planning to open a new TFC in June. MSF-B also reinforced its medical personnel in Kuito with additional staff members. “During the third week of May, plans were made for a general food distribution in Camacupa, pending government assurances of security along the Kuito-Camacupa road,” OCHA said.

Meanwhile, the Catholic radio station ‘Rádio Ecclésia’ quoted Father Moises da Conceição of the Catholic church in Kuito as criticising the forced recruitment of young boys by government forces in Kuito. He was quoted as saying that the manner win which the boys were treated could be compared to slavery.