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10 November 2000
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10 November 2000
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL
ON INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS
CONCLUDES VISIT TO ANGOLA
LUANDA (9 November 2000) – At the invitation of the Government of Angola, the Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons, Dr. Francis M. Deng, undertook an official visit to Angola from 31 October to 9 November.
The objectives of the Representative’s visit were to study the situation of internal displacement in the country and to dialogue with the Government, international agencies, non-governmental organizations and other relevant actors towards ensuring effective responses to the current conditions of the internally displaced in Angola.
In Luanda, the Representative was received by the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Planning, the Vice-Minister for Justice, the Minister of Territorial Administration, the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, the Attorney-General, the Minister for Social Assistance and Reintegration, and the Minister for Health. He also met with representatives of United Nations and other international humanitarian, human rights and development agencies, the diplomatic and donor community, and civil society, including representatives of church groups. The programme included visits to the provinces of Moxico, Huambo, Bie, as well as to settlements in Viana, located outside the capital Luanda and other settlements on the outskirts of Luanda. In the course of the visits to the provinces, meetings were held with provincial and municipal authorities, international agencies and non-governmental organizations, representatives of civil society and the internally displaced persons themselves.
The Representative’s visit to Angola should be seen in the context of other international missions to the country this year, beginning with the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Holbrooke and the subsequent inter-agency mission in March, led by the Emergency Relief Coordinator a.i., Carolyn McAskie. Both these visits drew international attention to the plight of the internally displaced and raised serious concerns as to the extent to which their needs were being met by the Government and the international community. The Representative’s visit provided an opportunity to assess the extent of progress which has been made, the extent to which the needs of the displaced are being addressed, what gaps exist and how these might be filled.
Overall, the Representative found a marked improvement in the situation of the internally displaced and in terms of the national and international response to their plight. Emphasising the primary responsibility of the State for meeting the needs of its internally displaced population, the Representative was encouraged to learn that the Government has taken important steps to improve institutional arrangements at the national and provincial levels and its coordination with the international community, in particular United Nations agencies. In addition, the Representative noted with appreciation the development by the Government, in cooperation with United Nations agencies, of a legal framework spelling out minimum standards for the return and resettlement of the internally displaced, incorporating the standards contained in the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. The Guiding Principles, which were developed at the request of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly, set forth the rights of the internally displaced in all phases of displacement, providing protection from arbitrary displacement, protection and assistance during displacement and for safe and dignified return or resettlement and reintegration. The Representative welcomed the progress made in improving the international humanitarian response which has resulted in the stabilisation of displaced populations, demonstrated most visibly by the resettlement of the majority of vulnerable displaced populations previously residing in deplorable conditions in transit centres.
Such developments notwithstanding, the Representative’s visits to the field revealed that a number of problems remain. Humanitarian action is constrained by the prevailing climate of insecurity, characterised by armed attacks on civilians, banditry, and the extensive presence and continued use of landmines, giving rise to problems of access, which is generally limited to provincial capitals and certain towns. There are also severe logistical constraints. Much of the infrastructure is destroyed and road access throughout the country is limited by insecurity. In the absence of effective surface distribution of assistance, there is an increased reliance on air transport which is costly. In addition, airstrips in places such as Kuito, which is entirely dependent on air support, are in urgent need of repair. Because of the increased insecurity of the war and in order to discourage reliance on the international community to provide assistance to the displaced, donor countries are reducing funding for humanitarian operations.
While coordination mechanisms exist at the national and provincial levels, a number of problems exist in their effective implementation. For instance, in one camp for the displaced in the province of Moxico, the Representative found that the health post was not yet functioning because it lacked a door and windows and was therefore not considered suitably secure to receive supplies of essential medicines which were otherwise available for delivery. Further inquiries revealed that the windows and doors were missing not because of a lack of money to pay for them but simply because a carpenter was unavailable. While not seeking to underestimate the problems involved in achieving what might otherwise be a straightforward task, the present case was of particular note because a mobile clinic which theoretically visited the camp every week was found not to do so, therefore raising concerns over access by the displaced to health facilities. In the same camp, discrepancies over the distribution of seeds was another example of the flaws in the implementation process. In a camp in the province of Bie, the Representative found that the failure of the local authorities and United Nations agencies to register the internally displaced in a timely manner had resulted in their going without food assistance for a number of months.
During his visit to the province of Huambo, the Representative saw both the problems and prospects facing the internally displaced. In a transit centre in the town of Caala, the internally displaced were found to be living in appalling conditions, in a derelict building and in and underneath two train carriages. The Representative was struck by the overriding sense of despair and depression amongst the displaced. This stood in stark contrast to the welcome received by the Representative at a resettlement area at Cantao Pahula during which the displaced listed their needs for non-food items and seeds. This in turn stood in contrast to the Representative's visit to the resettlement area at Lepi, where the displaced were in the process of completing the construction of dwellings which were decent, where there were integrated health, water and sanitation services, school and health facilities and where the displaced went about their business with little or no concern for the Representative's visit. The project was funded by OCHA with food assistance provided by WFP, and was implemented by a national NGO, Oikos, at relatively modest cost.. The Representative suggested that it be replicated elsewhere with special attention to security.
The Representative was seriously concerned at the lack of effective protection accorded to the physical security and human rights of the internally displaced. The Representative was informed of incidents of harassment, theft of food and non-food items by UNITA and Government armed forces (FAA) and the national police, incidents of rape, forced conscription, forced relocation and a distinct lack of effective remedies to address such situations. It was noted that where such concerns are brought to the attention of the military and provincial authorities little tangible progress is made. It was also noted that on-going guerrilla activity by UNITA forces, including the kidnapping and trading of children, as well as forced conscription of children and adults as porters, are causing displacement, as are the FAA’s “mopping up” operations which are expected to increase in intensity in the coming months. The Representative noted an urgent and compelling need for a more focused and active approach to protection, both by the Government and the international community, through building the national and provincial capacity to prevent and address such problems, and increasing the international protection presence in the provinces through, for example, training staff already in the field in raising protection concerns with the authorities. It was noted that in recent months the international community has become increasingly sensitised to the urgent need to address protection problems and is formulating a provincial protection strategy to this end, but additional efforts need to be pursued.
The Representative was alarmed at the landmine situation throughout the country and the problems this gives rise to in terms of access to displaced populations by international agencies and NGOs, as well as access of the internally displaced to land for resettlement and agricultural activities. As well as increasing the dangers to the displaced and the population at large and posing problems for the future development of agricultural production throughout the country, the continued use of landmines by both sides to the conflict is compounded by the absence of a systematic approach to mine action which needs to be addressed. The Representative was encouraged to learn that steps to this end are being taken by the Government, in cooperation with the international community, which he hopes will result in concrete action on the ground.
The Representative will elaborate upon the findings of his mission in a report which will be presented to the Commission on Human Rights at its next session and made publicly available. He will also share the findings of his mission with the Secretary-General and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, which is composed of the main international humanitarian and development agencies and non-governmental organizations, and of which he is a member.
Dr. Deng has been the Representative of the Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons since the position was created by the Commission on Human Rights in 1992. For further information, contact Simon Bagshaw in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva: tel. +41 22 917 9160, or Sivanka Dhanapala in the Office of the Representative of the Secretary-General in OCHA, New York: tel. +1 212 963 6583.
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL
ON INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS
CONCLUDES VISIT TO ANGOLA
LUANDA (9 November 2000) – At the invitation of the Government of Angola, the Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons, Dr. Francis M. Deng, undertook an official visit to Angola from 31 October to 9 November.
The objectives of the Representative’s visit were to study the situation of internal displacement in the country and to dialogue with the Government, international agencies, non-governmental organizations and other relevant actors towards ensuring effective responses to the current conditions of the internally displaced in Angola.
In Luanda, the Representative was received by the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Planning, the Vice-Minister for Justice, the Minister of Territorial Administration, the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, the Attorney-General, the Minister for Social Assistance and Reintegration, and the Minister for Health. He also met with representatives of United Nations and other international humanitarian, human rights and development agencies, the diplomatic and donor community, and civil society, including representatives of church groups. The programme included visits to the provinces of Moxico, Huambo, Bie, as well as to settlements in Viana, located outside the capital Luanda and other settlements on the outskirts of Luanda. In the course of the visits to the provinces, meetings were held with provincial and municipal authorities, international agencies and non-governmental organizations, representatives of civil society and the internally displaced persons themselves.
The Representative’s visit to Angola should be seen in the context of other international missions to the country this year, beginning with the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Holbrooke and the subsequent inter-agency mission in March, led by the Emergency Relief Coordinator a.i., Carolyn McAskie. Both these visits drew international attention to the plight of the internally displaced and raised serious concerns as to the extent to which their needs were being met by the Government and the international community. The Representative’s visit provided an opportunity to assess the extent of progress which has been made, the extent to which the needs of the displaced are being addressed, what gaps exist and how these might be filled.
Overall, the Representative found a marked improvement in the situation of the internally displaced and in terms of the national and international response to their plight. Emphasising the primary responsibility of the State for meeting the needs of its internally displaced population, the Representative was encouraged to learn that the Government has taken important steps to improve institutional arrangements at the national and provincial levels and its coordination with the international community, in particular United Nations agencies. In addition, the Representative noted with appreciation the development by the Government, in cooperation with United Nations agencies, of a legal framework spelling out minimum standards for the return and resettlement of the internally displaced, incorporating the standards contained in the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. The Guiding Principles, which were developed at the request of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly, set forth the rights of the internally displaced in all phases of displacement, providing protection from arbitrary displacement, protection and assistance during displacement and for safe and dignified return or resettlement and reintegration. The Representative welcomed the progress made in improving the international humanitarian response which has resulted in the stabilisation of displaced populations, demonstrated most visibly by the resettlement of the majority of vulnerable displaced populations previously residing in deplorable conditions in transit centres.
Such developments notwithstanding, the Representative’s visits to the field revealed that a number of problems remain. Humanitarian action is constrained by the prevailing climate of insecurity, characterised by armed attacks on civilians, banditry, and the extensive presence and continued use of landmines, giving rise to problems of access, which is generally limited to provincial capitals and certain towns. There are also severe logistical constraints. Much of the infrastructure is destroyed and road access throughout the country is limited by insecurity. In the absence of effective surface distribution of assistance, there is an increased reliance on air transport which is costly. In addition, airstrips in places such as Kuito, which is entirely dependent on air support, are in urgent need of repair. Because of the increased insecurity of the war and in order to discourage reliance on the international community to provide assistance to the displaced, donor countries are reducing funding for humanitarian operations.
While coordination mechanisms exist at the national and provincial levels, a number of problems exist in their effective implementation. For instance, in one camp for the displaced in the province of Moxico, the Representative found that the health post was not yet functioning because it lacked a door and windows and was therefore not considered suitably secure to receive supplies of essential medicines which were otherwise available for delivery. Further inquiries revealed that the windows and doors were missing not because of a lack of money to pay for them but simply because a carpenter was unavailable. While not seeking to underestimate the problems involved in achieving what might otherwise be a straightforward task, the present case was of particular note because a mobile clinic which theoretically visited the camp every week was found not to do so, therefore raising concerns over access by the displaced to health facilities. In the same camp, discrepancies over the distribution of seeds was another example of the flaws in the implementation process. In a camp in the province of Bie, the Representative found that the failure of the local authorities and United Nations agencies to register the internally displaced in a timely manner had resulted in their going without food assistance for a number of months.
During his visit to the province of Huambo, the Representative saw both the problems and prospects facing the internally displaced. In a transit centre in the town of Caala, the internally displaced were found to be living in appalling conditions, in a derelict building and in and underneath two train carriages. The Representative was struck by the overriding sense of despair and depression amongst the displaced. This stood in stark contrast to the welcome received by the Representative at a resettlement area at Cantao Pahula during which the displaced listed their needs for non-food items and seeds. This in turn stood in contrast to the Representative's visit to the resettlement area at Lepi, where the displaced were in the process of completing the construction of dwellings which were decent, where there were integrated health, water and sanitation services, school and health facilities and where the displaced went about their business with little or no concern for the Representative's visit. The project was funded by OCHA with food assistance provided by WFP, and was implemented by a national NGO, Oikos, at relatively modest cost.. The Representative suggested that it be replicated elsewhere with special attention to security.
The Representative was seriously concerned at the lack of effective protection accorded to the physical security and human rights of the internally displaced. The Representative was informed of incidents of harassment, theft of food and non-food items by UNITA and Government armed forces (FAA) and the national police, incidents of rape, forced conscription, forced relocation and a distinct lack of effective remedies to address such situations. It was noted that where such concerns are brought to the attention of the military and provincial authorities little tangible progress is made. It was also noted that on-going guerrilla activity by UNITA forces, including the kidnapping and trading of children, as well as forced conscription of children and adults as porters, are causing displacement, as are the FAA’s “mopping up” operations which are expected to increase in intensity in the coming months. The Representative noted an urgent and compelling need for a more focused and active approach to protection, both by the Government and the international community, through building the national and provincial capacity to prevent and address such problems, and increasing the international protection presence in the provinces through, for example, training staff already in the field in raising protection concerns with the authorities. It was noted that in recent months the international community has become increasingly sensitised to the urgent need to address protection problems and is formulating a provincial protection strategy to this end, but additional efforts need to be pursued.
The Representative was alarmed at the landmine situation throughout the country and the problems this gives rise to in terms of access to displaced populations by international agencies and NGOs, as well as access of the internally displaced to land for resettlement and agricultural activities. As well as increasing the dangers to the displaced and the population at large and posing problems for the future development of agricultural production throughout the country, the continued use of landmines by both sides to the conflict is compounded by the absence of a systematic approach to mine action which needs to be addressed. The Representative was encouraged to learn that steps to this end are being taken by the Government, in cooperation with the international community, which he hopes will result in concrete action on the ground.
The Representative will elaborate upon the findings of his mission in a report which will be presented to the Commission on Human Rights at its next session and made publicly available. He will also share the findings of his mission with the Secretary-General and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, which is composed of the main international humanitarian and development agencies and non-governmental organizations, and of which he is a member.
Dr. Deng has been the Representative of the Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons since the position was created by the Commission on Human Rights in 1992. For further information, contact Simon Bagshaw in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva: tel. +41 22 917 9160, or Sivanka Dhanapala in the Office of the Representative of the Secretary-General in OCHA, New York: tel. +1 212 963 6583.