Hungry displaced in Maquela de Zombo

MSF-France on Monday described the condition of some 2,000 newly displaced in the northern Angolan town of Maquela de Zombo as “not so good”. The humanitarian agency told IRIN that in a “quick assessment” of 240 children - to be confirmed at a later date - a 15 percent moderate malnutrition rate was recorded, “but not many cases of severe malnutrition”. In a nutrition survey in May in Maquela among residents and displaced, moderate malnutrition stood at seven percent. The 2,000 newly registered displaced fled fighting between UNITA rebels and the Angolan army south of Maquela around the towns of Bue and Cuilo Futa at the beginning of August. Approximately 10,000 people also crossed the border into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). MSF-France said that there were reports that some of the refugees had since begun to return to Angola, complaining of food shortages and hardships in DRC.