UN welcomes the action taken by the Huambo Provincial Government in facilitating the IDPs from transit centers in Caala

LUANDA, 31 August: - The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Angola today welcomed the action taken by the Provincial Government of Huambo Province in facilitating over recent days the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from transit centers in the municipality of Caala.
Five of the 15 transit centers have already been emptied and closed. The resettlement of the IDP families began over the weekend of 5 and 6 August to sites near the villages of Cantão Pahula and Cassoco, which are both close to Caala. Those IDPs remaining in transit centers in Caala will be resettled shortly.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms Zoraida Mesa, said: "The UN had been aware of the inadequate and unacceptable conditions at the transit centers and had been in cooperative discussions with the Provincial Government for a solution to the pressing problem caused by the continued influx of IDPs into the town".

The Humanitarian Coordinator added: "It is certainly good news that these transit centers will no longer be used to accommodate these displaced persons. However, the United Nations would like to take this opportunity to emphasize that resettlement of IDPs in Angola should take place in the context of the Government’s minimum operational standards. Security is a prime consideration, as are of course acceptable living conditions and the means for self-reliance through the provision of arable land and seeds and tools".

The Humanitarian Coordinator continued: "The UN and the Government of Angola will continue to work together in achieving those objectives".

As a result of the long-running civil war, there are approximately 2.65 million IDPs in Angola, or 20 per cent of the total population. Huambo has one of the highest levels of IDPs in the country, with 325,300 IDPs in the Province.

<Photo: Temporary health centre created by Médécins sans Frontières in the Caala resettlement area.>

For further information, please contact:

David Short, OCHA Angola
+244 2 448 205
+244 9 500 370

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