Angola

UN receives US$ 2,3 million for flood victims

Luanda, 15 April 2009 - UN System- Angola Resident Coordinator, Ms. Jocelline Bazil-Finley, announced the approval of US$2,3 million by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to support the flood victims in Angola.

The UN official indicated that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the World Health Organization (WHO), most recently, received the approval of US$2,354,123 from the Central Fund for Rapid Answer to Emergency Situations (CFRES) to support the Government of Angola in its efforts to attend flood victims in the provinces of Cunene, Kuando-Kubango, Moxico and Bié. The UN intervention through CFRES will guarantee the provision of primary services to 220 thousands immediate beneficiaries during the next three months.

The main objective is to supply treated water, health services and shelter, besides promoting prevention campaigns against cholera and the spreading of other diseases.

The Civil Protection has been tasked to coordinate the implementation of the said support to the flood victims in terms of logistics and transport.

It should be recalled that the CFRES was created thanks to donor countries’ contributions. It is a UN-established Fund to provide a coordinated and trustworthy humanitarian assistance to those members affected by natural disasters.

This Fund prioritizes the humanitarian action within the framework of the international organizations’ action, guaranteeing that the most vulnerable are attended immediately.

With the objective to unite and coordinate efforts in the affected areas, the United Nations, together with other local partners, organize a weekly meeting for information update and evaluation of the assistance rendered.