In December 2002 DFID provided £2.75 million to the World Food Programme bringing the UK's total support to the humanitarian crisis in Angola since September 2001 to over £9 million.
The humanitarian situation in Angola remains serious and widespread. Since the cease-fire, already over-stretched aid agencies have been able to access thousands more severely malnourished people. The 2003 UN CAP states that 4.3 million Angolans depend on some form of humanitarian assistance. However, humanitarian agencies are still unable to reach 200,000 people and 40% of the countryside.
Despite indications of improved food availability in large areas of the country, the latest Vulnerability Assessment carried out by the World Food Programme over the past few months, estimates that between 2.1 and 2.4 million Angolans will need food aid until the next harvest in April and May 2003.
Mine incidents, poor road conditions and broken bridges continue to hamper the delivery of humanitarian assistance. DFID has pledged £750,000 to the WFP for logistical support, to improve the delivery of food to vulnerable populations. We have also contributed £300,000 to UNDP for a project aimed at improving the effectiveness of mine action through strengthened coordination and planning and we will be contributing 19.7% of the 6 million euros which the EC has recently made available for mine action in Angola.
We are also contributing £500,000 to OCHA's Emergency response fund, to help meet critical needs of the most vulnerable, and £200,000 to support their humanitarian coordination structure, which is critical for the effective functioning of the overall humanitarian operation in Angola.
UK Assistance to Angola
|
Date
|
Description
|
Total (£ million)
|
|
Sept. 2001
| UN Appeal for Angola 2001 |
0.5
|
|
Jan-May 2002
| MSF - Assistance to Displaced Population in Kuito and Camacupa |
0.45
|
| UN Appeal for Angola 2002 |
1.0
| |
| ICRC Appeal for Angola 2002 |
0.3
| |
|
June 2002
| UN Bridging Request 2002 |
0.677
|
|
July 2002
| MSF - Assistance to Displaced Population of Bunjei and Huambo |
0.3
|
| MSF - Assistance to Population of Saurimo and Cuando Cubango |
0.3
| |
|
Aug 2002
| ICRC Appeal for Angola |
0.75
|
|
Oct 2002
| IOM - Assistance to Internally Displaced People, Kuanza Sul and Huambo |
0.25
|
| UNDP - Emergency Mine Action Coordination |
0.3
| |
|
Nov 2002
| WFP - Food Assistance to Vulnerable Groups |
2.0
|
| WFP - Logistical Support |
0.75
| |
| OCHA Emergency Response Fund |
0.5
| |
| OCHA Coordination of Humanitarian Activities |
0.2
| |
|
Total
|
8.277
|
In addition, we estimate that our contribution to commitments by the European Commission to date is approximately £767,230 bringing the UK contribution to £9.04 million.