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Angola: Inter-Agency Operational Update (29 August 2017) [EN/PT]

Countries
Angola
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Sources
UNHCR
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In Lóvua, there are currently 1,495 refugees living in the settlement, the next relocation is scheduled for 31 August from Cacanda reception centre.

A Child Friendly Space has been established in Lóvua with 264 children out of 754 attending in the first week of operation.

Malaria cases have decreased, however due to the start of the rainy season this trend is expected to invert.

KEY FIGURES

75%
Of Congolese refugees in Angola are women and children

32,980
Biometrically registered Congolese refugees in Dundo area (22 August 2017)

50,000
Inter-agency planning figure for Congolese refugees from the Kasai region in northern Angola by the end of the year

Operational Context

The outbreak of violence in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in March 2017 triggered the internal displacement of some 1.3 million persons and the flight of over 32,000 refugees into Lunda Norte Province of Angola. Refugees have reported generalized violence, mass killings, mutilations, burning of property, destruction of villages, schools and churches, rape of women and girls and human rights abuses as well as the shortage of food and the lack of access to basic services and goods. While refugees continue to arrive in Lunda Norte, the number of arrivals per day has decreased significantly since July 2017. Interviews with newly-arrived refugees indicate that the main roads to the border are largely blocked forcing people to enter Angola through unofficial border entry points.

The DRC-Angola border serves as a main artery for trade between the two countries. While the border is closed to trade and commerce, the Government of Angola (GoA) has maintained an open door policy to welcome any Congolese nationals fleeing as a result of the civil unrest. As the situation remains volatile in the Kasai region, humanitarian agencies in Angola have developed a response plan to assist an influx of 50,000 refugees by end December 2017. The interagency humanitarian response to the existing nearly 33,000 Congolese refugees covers the areas of protection, emergency shelter, food and nutrition, non-food items, water, sanitation, hygiene, health and emergency education until the end of 2017. Special attention is being paid to some 500 children at risk, 1,400 single heads of household, 122 refugees with disabilities and 100 elderly persons.

The relocation of Congolese refugees living in Mussungue reception centre to the new Lóvua settlement, 94 km west of Dundo, took place from 8 – 13 August. A total of 1,495 refugees were relocated to Lóvua during this time. On 31 August the relocation from Cacanda reception centre to Lóvua will start with the relocation of some 38 families. Due to lack of available heavy machinery, the challenges of opening primary and secondary roads remains a major constraint in the development of Lóvua settlement, this has been causing some delays on the relocation process of the refugees living in the overcrowded Cacanda reception centre.