ReliefWeb

Luanda - The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, Wednesday in Luanda, recommended strictness in the management and distribution of goods acquired to help the victims of drought in southern Angola

Speaking today at the meeting of the National Commission for Civil Protection, João Lourenço ordered the use of the means acquired exclusively for the purposes for which they are intended.

The head of state cited as an example the equipment such as water tank motorcycles for water supply to the needy populations, and stressed that he does not want to see them on private farms.

At the time, he said he hoped that money and goods obtained would effectively reach the population in need.

During the meeting, a report on the distribution of 7,200 tons of miscellaneous goods from January to September of this year was presented as part of the Emergency Program to fight Drought in the south of the country, specifically in the provinces of Cunene, Cuando Cubango, Huíla and Namibe.

According to the document, the Government has provided more than 23 billion Kwanzas to mitigate the effects of the worsening drought since January this year, affecting 28,867 families, 301 of them are malnourished.

The phenomenon of drought in the region is pointed as the cause of the death of 10,982 head of cattle, of the approximately 1.2 million affected, and the destruction of 52,119 agricultural fields in those provinces.

Solidarity Campaign

The report emphasizes the national solidarity campaign carried out by provincial governments, civil society and churches, which exceeded expectations by raising some 300 tons of miscellaneous goods.

It also underlines the commitment of international organizations such as the World Bank, United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to provide financial resources and logistical support.

The Commission considered as priority the recovery of access roads to the most drought-affected localities in the provinces of Cuando Cubango and Cunene.

It recommends the production of food in the zootechnical stations existing in the affected provinces, namely Cacanda and Caracul (Namibe), Humpata and Quilengues (Huíla) and Cafu (Cunene).