Angola: UN relief coordinator seeks $46 million to fund aid efforts

With the humanitarian situation in Angola deteriorating sharply, a senior United Nations official overseeing relief efforts in the country has appealed for urgent funding to maintain aid operations.

Erick de Mul, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Angola, called for $46 million from donors to fund 11 priority projects.

According to a statement issued by the UN office in the Angolan capital of Luanda, the death of UNITA rebel leader Jonas Savimbi has not meant the end of military operations in Angola.

"Millions of vulnerable people are living in life-threatening conditions and more will be at serious risk if action is not taken immediately," said Mr. de Mul. "Urgent funding is needed to ensure that life-saving assistance gets to people who need it without delay."

Unless the situation on the ground changes, humanitarian agencies in Angola estimate that approximately 300,000 more Angolans will become displaced over the next six months, bringing the total number of displaced people in the country to 4.6 million.

This would increase the current emergency caseload by nearly 25 per cent, further taxing relief operations that Mr. de Mul's office described as already "stretched to the limit."