Angola: Statement by USG for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

I have just completed a mission to Angola with Julia Taft, Director of the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery in UNDP, and Holdbrook Arthur, Regional Director for Central Africa in WFP.
The purpose of my mission was to assess the humanitarian situation on the ground, meet with Government officials and discuss issues of mutual concern, and consult with donor and NGO partners on the ground.

The people of Angola have suffered greatly during more than three decades of war. However, it is clear that prospects for peace are better now than at any time before. I would like to commend the people of Angola for this momentous achievement. Quartering of UNITA troops has been a success and the cease-fire is holding. At the same time, the needs remain great and Angola will need the active support of the international community to complement its own efforts to overcome the political, humanitarian and socio-economic challenges in order to consolidate peace.

Yesterday, I had a very useful discussion with Government ministers. We agreed to build on our existing good cooperation and move into a new partnership between the Government and the United Nations and its partners in the area of humanitarian and development assistance. We will explore ways to further strengthen our collaboration so that all Angolans can benefit from the "peace dividend" that will come from the end of the war. The Government agrees that it has the primary responsibility for meeting the needs of its people and that the United Nations and the international community play a role in complementing these efforts.

There is an expectation in the international community that the Government will build on its current efforts to systematically increase spending in the social sector and assume a greater share of the burden in meeting the needs of its people. In addition, the effectiveness of the work of UN and its partners will benefit from practical steps by the Government, including facilitating customs clearances, visa issues and immediate infrastructure repair.

I was deeply impressed by my visit to the town of Kuito in Bie Province earlier in the week, one of the hardest hit locations in the country. The scars of war are everywhere. We met with the Governor of Bie Province and discussed the urgent priorities, including return and resettlement issues. In this respect, we visited several IDP camps and the Provincial Hospital and met with the national and international NGOs working in the province. As the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, I salute the effort of these organizations throughout the country who are working tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of people.

The humanitarian situation in Angola continues to be dire. There are still enormous needs to be met. The UN and its partners have significantly expanded their operations since the Memorandum of Understanding of 4 April, but much more needs to be done. UN agencies and partners are currently overstretched and require urgent funding. Up to 3 million people, including those in Family Reception Areas, newly accessible locations and Internally Displaced Persons camps will require some form of assistance in the months ahead -- one quarter of Angola's population. Many of these people need urgent assistance -- food, health services, medicines - and I call upon the donor community to be generous in its response to these needs.

Next week, I will brief donors in Geneva on the situation in Angola, and will follow up with another donor briefing in New York. Later in the month, following consultations with the Government, we will present the revised Consolidated Appeal for Angola. By doing so, I hope that we can help the people of Angola consolidate peace and national reconciliation and move into normalcy which will allow for the reconstruction and development of Angola.