Day: January 17, 2023

CAHAMA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of EUR 500,000 from the Government of France towards its nutrition response for families affected by drought in the southern Angola.

 

In Cunene province, the contribution will help WFP provide nutritious products to prevent and treat acute malnutrition to some 700 children under the age of two and 3, 200 pregnant and breast-feeding women between January and July 2023. In addition, 6,000 people will benefit from sensitization and nutrition education sessions during cooking demonstrations, focus group discussions and awareness raising activities. After the most severe drought since 1981, many areas in the south are still recovering. The municipality of Cahama, where the programme will be implemented, continues to receive below average rainfall. High levels of acute food insecurity, inadequate care and feeding practices, limited access to safe drinking water and low infectious disease vaccination coverage, contribute to high levels of acute malnutrition.

 

“The French contribution, part of the French Food Aid Programme 2022, will allow WFP to assist communities to recognize and prevent acute malnutrition,” said José Ferrão, WFP Angola country director. “In addition to providing Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food, WFP will capacitate health unit workers and community agents by providing equipment nutrition education materials.”

 

In December 2022, WFP reached 1,700 children with moderate acute malnutrition through community nutrition programmes. The timely contribution from the Government of France will allow WFP to expand the nutrition response in Angola.

 

“I would like to take this opportunity to note that the French Government is committed to strengthening and continuing its support in order to ensure greater impact and increase the target population in the future,” said Daniel Vosgien, Ambassador of France to Angola. “Finally, the French Cooperation is also developing several projects to support family farming and trainings for youth in order to promote food production in disadvantaged areas.”

 

In addition to nutrition programmes, WFP is supporting drought affected populations through commodity vouchers and school feeding. WFP supports the Government of Angola with food security assessments and development of relevant policies and provides logistical services to humanitarian partners.

 

Source: World Food Programme

UNHCR’s operation in Burundi supports refugees, two-thirds of whom live in camps in the eastern part of the country. Nearly 90,000 refugees and asylum seekers are registered in our database. Durable solutions are sought for vulnerable cases in parallel, UNHCR is assisting the government of Burundi to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees. About 200,000 refugees have been repatriated since 2017. In collaboration with other humanitarian actors, UNHCR supports the protection of internally displaced persons in Burundi.

 

OPERATION OVERVIEW

 

While the number of people for whom UNHCR has been entrusted with a responsability by the international community to protect and assist in Burundi continues to increase, the UN Refugee Agency continues to face an unprecedented funding gap. As of 31 December 2022, there were 304,400 persons in need of life-saving aid, while the funding levels stood at only 38%.

 

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

The 54th ministerial session of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa (UNSAC) ended on January 16 in Brazzaville, four days after the meeting of Focal Points and experts. The official opening ceremony was chaired by the Congolese Prime Minister, Mr. Anatole Collinet Makosso. It took place in the presence of members of the government, the diplomatic corps, representatives of regional and sub-regional organizations as well as senior United Nations officials, including the Deputy Special Representative at the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Mr. Bruno Lemarquis, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes, Mr. Huang Xia, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to the African Union, Mr. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga and his colleague for Central Africa and Head of UNOCA, Mr. Abdou Abarry. In his speech, the latter expressed his gratitude to the government “for its remarkable hospitality as well as for the efforts and resources invested in […] providing an optimal framework for consultation and reflection on security issues in Central Africa”.

 

Promoting women’s political participation

 

The Special Representative then reviewed the progress made in certain areas. He particularly hailed the involvement of women in political life and in the management of public affairs, mentioning, among other things, the accession of women to the vice-presidency of the Republic in Angola and Gabon. He stressed that this approach “reflects the need to promote their participation in all bodies for reflection, consultation and decision-making, especially since they have an important role to play in the prevention and resolution of conflicts in our sub-region”. He said he was convinced that additional efforts will be made to also take into account the good representation of women in official delegations, including within the framework of UNSAC statutory meetings,

 

The Head of UNOCA also insisted on the main challenges in terms of peace and security, highlighting maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea, violent extremism in the Lake Chad basin, the shortcomings of electoral systems , inter-community violence, and in particular that between farmers and herders, the circulation of small arms and light weapons, the effects of climate change, hate speech, etc. The Committee adopted a Declaration on this crucial issue, which encourages actions with a view to political endorsement and validation, by the competent authorities of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS),

 

The participants also adopted a Declaration on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where “the resurgence of M23 is very worrying”. The Head of UNOCA regretted that the situation in the East of this country “is slow to normalize, despite the bold initiatives of the countries of the region”. Hence, according to him, “the imperative need to unite [the] efforts to preserve the peace, security and stability of the States of Central Africa”.

 

Leadership of ECCAS in the Prevention of Violent Conflicts

 

In this context, Mr. Abdou Abarry recalled the importance of ECCAS, noting its willingness to “play a leadership role in the prevention of violent conflicts and crisis management in its Member States”. In the same spirit, he indicated that UNSAC “remains a relevant tool for preventive diplomacy and confidence-building between member states”, adding that it is a valuable platform “for consultation [on] tensions that may arise between neighboring States”. He encouraged member countries to maintain their commitment to the Committee in order to ensure the continuity and fluidity of its activities “while continuing the reflection begun several years ago on a reform of working methods, in for more efficient operation.

 

During his closing speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francophonie and Congolese Abroad, Mr. Jean-Claude Gakosso, whose country now holds the rotating presidency of UNSAC, indicated that Congo ” will spare no effort for the prosperity of the sub-region”. The Bureau of the Committee also includes Sao Tome and Principe (First Vice-Chair), Rwanda (Second Vice-Chair) and Angola (Rapporteur). All the other Member States (Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, DRC, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad) took part in the work, as did the President of the ECCAS Commission, Mr. Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo.

 

The 55th UNSAC Ministerial Meeting will take place from 15 to 19 May 2023 in Sao Tome.

 

Source: UN Regional Office for Central Africa