ACT member, the
Lutheran World Federation, Zambia reports that they are facing
a new emergency with a fresh influx of Angolan refugees to Mwinilunga
Refugee Camp. On the morning of Sunday, 24 September 2000, over 2,000
new refugees arrived and by the evening the total was over 4,000.
On 17 September
2 battalions of the Angolan army entered north eastern Angola from
the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is further reported that Cazombo,
a major population center in Moxico Province has fallen to the government
forces and there are indications that all towns in the Province have
now been taken by the government forces. It is expected that there
will be a major influx of 15 - 20,000 refugees in Zambia during the
next few days/weeks as both government forces and UNITA have told
civilians to leave the area.
LWF Zambia in
collaboration with the UNHCR are taking emergency action. Already
five LWF/UNHCR trucks have been deployed to take the new arrivals
from Mwinilunga to Meheba (which already has a refugee population
of 41,000). There are adequate food stocks in Meheba for at least
one month but non-food items such as plastic sheeting, utensils, blankets
amongst other things are being provided out of LWF stocks in Lusaka.
UNHCR has sent Field Officers to Mwinilunga to coordinate the activities
and Médecins sans Frontiers (MSF France) has taken the responsibility
for health services, sanitation and water supply at Mwinilunga.
A new site is
now being prepared in Meheba where demarcation works, clearing, water
point installation is already being carried out and MSF (France) is
putting up a health post. The site of 100,000 hectares was recently
given by the local Chief to accommodate refugees.
Some immediate
needs:
- Work has begun
on shallow wells but funds are urgently needed to step up this activity
along with the drilling of bore holes as lack of water is a major
problem at the extension site.
- Trucks are
needed to transport refugees to the camp sites.
- Non-food items
such as blankets, clothing and plastic sheeting – at present coming
from LWF stocks, needs to be replenished soon.
- Funds are needed
for the Meheba extension site preparation along with water and sanitation
- Agricultural
and construction tools are urgently needed as stocks have been exhausted.
An ACT appeal
will be forthcoming once assessments have been completed by ACT members
in the field.
