Angola

• In the Philippines, a case of vaccine-derived poliovirus has been detected and is being further investigated, as outbreak response will be implemented. See ‘Philippines’ section below for further details.

• Summary of new viruses this week: Afghanistan — six wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1)- positive environmental samples; Nigeria— one circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) case; Angola— seven cVDPV2 cases

This figure includes Voluntary Repatriation from Kenya (84,558) and Assisted Spontaneous returnees from Yemen (4,414) as well as 1,395 returnees from other countries such as Djibouti (801), Libya (406), Sudan (143), Eritrea (34), Angola, Tunisia, Gambia, Pakistan, Cambodia and others. Somali refugees from these or other countries who return spontaneously without assistance from the UNHCR are not included.

In Numbers

288.672 mt of food assistance distributed in August 2019

US$ 3.3 m six months (September 2019 to February 2020) net funding requirements, representing 58% of total

17,697 people assisted in August 2019

Operational Updates

Overview

This Weekly Bulletin focuses on public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 70 events in the region. This week’s main articles cover key new and ongoing events, including:

Since 18 August, thousands of Congolese refugees spontaneously left Lóvua refugee settlement in Angola to make their way back home in the DRC.

A Tripartite Meeting subsequently took place on 22 and 23 August between UNHCR and the Governments of Angola and DRC, where it was decided that facilitated repatriation would start on 16 September 2019.

Background

During the month, new arrivals continued to be registered, with a total of 572 new arrivals received in Zambia. 411 were from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with, 121 from Burundi, 38 from Somalia and other nationalities, two.

1,793 Congolese refugees received the National Registration, Passport and Citizenship Cards (Alien Cards) from Ministry of Home Affairs, with assistance by UNHCR, to enable them have fair access to rights of inclusion in national services, self-reliance, and opportunities to earn a living, and integration into the host country.

• The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners and the United Arab Emirates co-hosted an informal reception as a pre-event ahead of the Polio Pledging Moment in the United Arab Emirates’-hosted Reaching the Last Mile Forum in Abu Dhabi, in November 2019. The GPEI also presented the 2019-2023 GPEI Investment Case. Read more.

Dundo - The process of voluntary and spontaneous repatriation of refugees from the DR Congo, who were sheltered at the Lóvua camp, in the north-eastern Luanda Norte Province since May 2017, has ended with the return home of about 14,724 Congolese citizens.

The voluntary repatriation process started last August 19, when a group of refugees unilaterally decided to return to the country of origin voluntarily and spontaneously.

Lubango - The National Civil Protection Commission on Wednesday delivered 320 tonnes of foodstuff to support the drought-stricken population in southern Huila province.

The bulk includes 270 tonnes of food and 50 tonnes of clothing and soap.

Some 173,777 people are affected by drought in the province.

The Provincial Commission distributed from February-August this year 555 tons of goods to assist over 40,000 families affected by phenomenon.

The Regional Supply and Market Outlook report provides a summary of regional staple food availability, surpluses and deficits during the current marketing year, projected price behavior, implications for local and regional commodity procurement, and essential market monitoring indicators. To learn more about typical market conditions in Southern Africa, readers are invited to explore the Southern Africa Regional Maize Market Fundamentals Summary.

Overview

This Weekly Bulletin focuses on public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 62 events in the region. This week’s main articles cover key new and ongoing events, including:

This update concerns the situation of Congolese refugees and asylum seekers in countries in the region.

As of 31 July 2019, 873,987 Congolese refugees are being hosted in several African countries. From 1 January to 31 July 2019 alone, some 62,291 Congolese fled to neighboring countries, with a particularly significant increase in the flows to Uganda.

UNHCR, together with 57 humanitarian and development partners launched the revised 2019-2020 Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP) on 30 June 2019 to help respond to the needs of Congolese refugees in Africa.

This update concerns the situation of Congolese refugees and asylum seekers in countries in the region.

873,987 Total number of refugees and asylum-seekers from the DRC.

4.5 M Internally displaced people (as at December 2017) Source: OCHA

1.1 M Planning figure of DRC refugees by December 2019.

51 Total number of Congolese refugees assisted to return in 2018

BASIC INFORMATION

POPULATION FIGURES

The Technical Advisory Group on Polio Eradication in Pakistan met on 29 – 30 August to discuss the challenges faced by the programme and propose recommendations for transforming key aspects in the programme strategy for polio eradication.

An Investment case has been launched in order to ensure the GPEI’s funding requirements are fully financed until eradication and certification.

Highlights

Despite the critical role that water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), waste disposal and environmental cleaning services play in the continuum of healthcare, access to WASH services globally remains alarmingly poor.

UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office conducted a regional scoping study and deep dive on the enabling environment for WASH services in health care facilities across its 21 programming countries in Eastern and Southern Africa Region.

Au premier semestre 2019, la situation humanitaire en RDC a été marquée par la recrudescence des violences dans les régions du Nord et du Centre Est, ainsi que par la persistance d’une situation épidémiologique alarmante. Des déplacements ont été rapportés dans les Provinces de l’Ituri et du Sud-Kivu. Ces événements se greffent à une situation humanitaire déjà très fragilisée. Dans la région Centre-Ouest, l’arrivée des expulsés se poursuit à la frontière avec l’Angola.

The 11,910 refugees are part of the bulk settled in Lóvua shelter centre, Angola's eastern Lunda Norte province, who unilaterally decided to return voluntarily and spontaneously to their home land (DRC) on August 19.

Speaking to the press, at the end of his 72-hour working visit to Lunda Norte province, the official regretted the condition of the refugees stranded in that locality, waiting for the Congolese government to create transport conditions for distribution to their respective areas.

Dundo - The Secretary of State for Social Action, Lúcio de Amaral, traveled this Tuesday to the border of Tchicolondo, Cambulono municipality, in the course of his working visit to the province of Lunda Norte, to verify in loco the transition conditions of Congolese refugees.

These are the refugees who were settled in Lóvua camp, Lunda Norte, who on 19 August decided unilaterally to return to their country of origin.

90,225 refugee returnees (2014 - 2019)

This figure includes voluntary repatriation from Kenya (84,428) and Assisted Spontaneous returnees from Yemen (4,414) as well as 1,383 returnees from other countries such as Djibouti (801), Libya (394), Sudan (143), Eritrea (34), Pakistan, Gambia, Angola, Cambodia and others. Somali refugees from these or other countries who return spontaneously without assistance from the UNHCR are not included.