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UN in Angola welcomes official move to help resettle displaced people
31 August -- The Office of the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Angola today welcomed the recent action taken by local authorities in Huambo Province to facilitate the resettlement of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the municipality of Caala.

The resettlement effort, which began on 5 August, is transferring displaced people from 15 transit centres -- five of which have already been emptied and closed -- to sites in the nearby villages of Cantão Pahula and Cassoco, the UN Office said in a statement released in Luanda.

According to Zoraida Mesa, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Angola, the UN had been aware of the "inadequate and unacceptable conditions" at the transit centres and had been in "cooperative discussions" with the provincial government for a solution to the problem.

"It is certainly good news that these transit centres will no longer be used to accommodate these displaced persons," Ms. Mesa said. "However, the United Nations would like to take this opportunity to emphasize that resettlement of IDPs in Angola should take place in the context of the Government's minimum operational standards. Security is a prime consideration, as are acceptable conditions and the means for self-reliance through the provision of arable land and seeds and tools."

The UN and the Government of Angola will continue to work together to address the issue, she said.

As a result of the long-running civil war, there are approximately 2.65 million displaced people in Angola, or 20 per cent of the population. Huambo has one of the highest levels of displaced people in the country, with over 325,000 IDPs.