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Humanitarian Action for Children 2018 - Angola

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Angola

Southern Angola is experiencing a chronic nutrition crisis stemming from the combined impacts of economic shock, limited rainfall and the deteriorating quality of basic services. Access to water remains limited, with two thirds of water points non-operational in affected areas, and over 700,000 people in need of clean drinking water. Although food security has improved, higher prices are constraining access to food and increasing the risk of malnutrition for thousands of children. Many of these children are still experiencing the impacts of the El Niño phenomenon, which left 756,000 people in need of food assistance. The rainy season, which is associated with displacement and extensive flooding, will likely give rise to illness and water-borne diseases, particularly cholera. Between January and October 2017, 490 cholera cases were reported. Escalating violence in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has forced civilians to seek refuge in Angola's Lunda Norte Province, and more than 26,700 people require food assistance. Camp conditions are poor due to overcrowding, torrential rains and heightened risk of disease outbreaks. The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could cause a new refugee influx into Angola in 2018 and will require continued attention and preparedness

Humanitarian strategy

UNICEF will work with the Government, particularly the national emergency and disaster management group, under the leadership of the Ministry of Interior and in collaboration with the national civil protection department and international nongovernmental organizations. Resilience strategies will be integrated into the country programme to sustain results for children. UNICEF will expand, decentralize and tailor its response by strengthening systems and investing in sub-national capacities to increase access to quality basic services. The Government will coordinate the implementation of the cholera outbreak response plan under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and the provincial health directorates and with UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO) and partner support. UNICEF will continue to monitor daily epidemiological data and support active case finding for disease outbreaks, especially measles and cholera. UNICEF will support local authorities to comply with treatment protocols, health norms, biosecurity measures and stock management in hospitals and treatment centers, and will resupply government stocks of essential drugs and vaccines for emergency situations.
Refugee populations will be supported, including with integration programmes, through the Ministry of Social Welfare and provincial governments, in close collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP) and other partners.

Results from 2017

As of 31 October 2017, UNICEF had US$9.9 million available against the US$20.7 million appeal (48 per cent funded). In 2017, UNICEF screened 189,305 children for malnutrition and admitted 24,923 children under 5 years into therapeutic treatment programmes. Due to limited funding, UNICEF was not able to meet the targets for providing nutrition screening services to at-risk children and child protection services related to violence against children. A total of 284,184 people in humanitarian situations gained access to safe water. Targets were exceeded in hygiene promotion and water provision due to the scaled-up response to cholera and integrated programming. Hygiene promotion, including nutrition- and child protectionrelated messages reached 550,519 people. UNICEF provided technical support to the Ministry of Health to improve surveillance and strengthen case management for the cholera response. UNICEF also provided safe water and appropriate sanitation and expanded life-saving support to refugee populations in Lunda Norte, vaccinating 13,694 children against measles. A total of 2,505 children accessed child-friendly spaces on a weekly basis and 529 teachers were trained to respond to the needs of learners affected by emergencies. UNICEF also participated in sector working groups to contribute to the delivery of services in both drought- and flood-affected areas.

Funding requirements

In 2018, UNICEF Angola requires US$14,660,000 to address the needs of refugee children and the ongoing vulnerability of Angolan women and children at risk of water-borne diseases and facing protracted drought, exacerbated by the economic and financial crisis. Adequate and predictable funding is needed to support the national response, which includes treating acute malnutrition, strengthening WASH interventions, scaling up response interventions in health, education and child protection and providing life-saving assistance to refugee children and women.