Thousands of Angolans flee fighting to neighbouring countries: UNHCR
15 August -- An upsurge of fighting in Angola is pushing thousands of people to flee under dangerous conditions into neighbouring countries, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today.
A UNHCR spokesman said that there had been a monthly influx of up to 1,000 Angolans into Zambia over the past four months. "The refugees, mostly women and children, were reported to be in poor condition," Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva. "Some wore only tee-shirts and had eaten only wild fruit they were able to find during their journey from Angola." In the past nine months, renewed fighting in Angola has pushed 28,000 people into Zambia, which now hosts 220,000 refugees, mostly Angolans.
More than 6,000 Angolans escaping civil war have crossed into northern Namibia since last November, according to UNHCR. "Passage into Namibia is reportedly difficult for young men who are suspected of supporting the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), and UNHCR has to attend screening hearings held by the Government of Namibia before the refugees can be accepted," Mr. Redmond said. Namibia now hosts some 22,000 Angolan refugees.
Meanwhile, Angolans fleeing fighting in the Lunda Norte Province are streaming into two areas bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where an estimated 15,000 refugees are now located. "Many remain inaccessible, mainly because of damaged bridges and bad roads in the region," the spokesman said. Fears of incursions by UNITA have prompted the local authorities to regroup the refugees some distance away.
"Resources on the ground are lacking and many of the refugees are living in miserable conditions," Mr. Redmond noted. "Water, sanitation, medical and educational activities are urgently needed."
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