Military

DATE=6/23/2003

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=UNICEF/ANGOLA (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-304643

BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, says Angola has taken some significant steps toward rebuilding the country from 30 years of civil war. But Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva, UNICEF says much work lies ahead, and help is needed from the international community.

TEXT: The UNICEF representative in Angola, Mario Ferrari, says Angola has lost two generations to the 30 years of war between the government and UNITA rebels, and before that the war for independence from Portugal. He says the international community must see to it that Angola does not lose a third generation.

/// FERRARI ACT ///

We are working in order to avoid that there is another generation lost. That is why we are pushing with a lot of strength. The time is now. The time is now to go back and quickly to establish systems, to establish systems throughout the country; and, to start to work very quickly on the upgrading of the quality of the systems.

/// END ACT ///

The task ahead is huge. United Nations figures show that 25 percent of Angolan children die before the age of five, 45 percent of the children suffer from chronic malnutrition, and only 27 percent of one-year old children are fully immunized against preventable diseases. In addition, 45 percent of Angolan children do not go to school.

UNICEF says it cannot predict how quickly Angola will recover from the latest war, which displaced more than four-million people -- a third of the country's population -- and destroyed the social and economic fabric of its society.

But, Mr. Ferrari, the UNICEF representative, says the people of Angola have a lot of energy and determination to change things. And he is surprised at the speed with which things are moving.

For example, he says campaigns in health and education, backed by UNICEF and supported by the government, have been very successful. He says more than seven-million children were immunized against measles in April and May.

In addition, Mr. Ferrari says, about one-half-million Angolan children went back to school as a result of the country's biggest-ever education campaign. He says education is considered the engine that will drive Angola's long-term recovery.

/// 2nd FERRARI ACT ///

The level of illiteracy is very high. Forty-six percent of women are illiterate, and 18 percent of men, which is an indicator of imbalance of access to basic services between women and men. ... The school is important, because it is a stabilizing factor for the family, a stabilizing factor for the children.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Ferrari says the Back-to-School campaign has been so successful that the Angolan government has decided to provide 40-million dollars to recruit and hire 29-thousand new teachers. This, he says, will allow one-million more children to enroll in school.

The UNICEF representative says Angola can build on these initial successes. But, he says this will need a firm commitment of assistance from the international community.

/// REST OPT ///

He says he is in Geneva to meet with donors to try to persuade them that supporting Angola's rehabilitation projects is a good investment in salvaging the lives of millions of people, who have known little but war and misery for decades. (Signed)

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