Angola/Sierra Leone: Statement by USG Sergio Vieira de Mello

I am extremely concerned by the current situation in Angola and Sierra Leone, where recent heavy fighting and insecurity has forced humanitarian agencies to either drastically reduce their presence and activities, or as in the case of Sierra Leone, to pull out all staff from the country. As the violence intensifies, civilians, already in an impoverished state, suffer loss of life, property and are forced to flee the fighting. Hundreds of thousands have become refugees or have been internally displaced in both countries in 1998. This must cease.
The humanitarian community in Angola and Sierra Leone are striving to continue providing relief assistance to the vulnerable groups through established distribution mechanisms in local communities. However, if the fighting continues, I am concerned that we will not be able to replenish depleting stocks of food, and, in this respect, I call on all parties involved in the conflicts in Sierra Leone and Angola to respect and fully protect civilian populations, whatever their location, to guarantee the security and safety of those transporting humanitarian assistance and to facilitate these activities by ensuring that routes travelled -including agreed air corridors- are secure. I urge all combatants to consider the safety of all civilians, especially women and children, and to ensure that International Humanitarian Law is fully respected, particularly in areas of military confrontation.