UNICEF Angola Humanitarian Situation Report – January to June 2018
ANGOLA Humanitarian Situation Report
UNICEF operated child-friendly space and training facilities at Lóvua settlement centre. ©UNICEF/©UNICEF/2018.2017/Luis Social Mobilizers training on cholera prevention and response.
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
Highlights 890 Suspected cases of cholera in Uige, Cabinda 890 suspected cases of cholera, including 15 deaths, were and Luanda reported from January to June in Uige, Cabinda and Luanda (includes 15 deaths) (27 June Cholera Bulletin, Ministry of Health) Provinces. Throughout the year, 1,250 mobilizers were trained on cholera 700,000 prevention in Uige and Luanda’s cholera affected communities People estimated to be in need of clean through door-to-door visits, reaching over 185,000 people. drinking water 42,587 children under the age of 5 years have been screened for (Projection for 2018 based on 2017 malnutrition and 9,843 were admitted for severe acute Vulnerability Assessment Committee SADC) malnutrition (SAM) treatment from January to June in UNICEF- and 35,622 refugees (Biometric Registration supported outpatient and inpatient treatment centers in drought Update as of 18 June 2018, UNHCR) affected municipalities. 408,100 A cumulative total of 980 household latrines and showers built in Children estimated to be in need of clean the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) refugee settlement drinking water* (2017 Vulnerability of Lovua, of which 83 are for vulnerable families. Assessment Committee SADC) The 2018 Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) has a including 18,678 refugee children (Biometric substantial funding gap of 80 per cent which will impact UNICEF Registration Update as of 15 April, UNHCR) response in the next six months, namely in terms of child protection in the refugee response, access to education services 43,000 and cholera case management. Children under 5 to be admitted for SAM treatment (Based on MOH data) UNICEF’s Response with Partners Funding Status Funds received UNICEF Carry- to date: January –June 2018 forward $2 m UNICEF Cumulative amount: Target results (#) $0.9 m Funding WASH: Number of people with access to safe water as per 125,000 158,500 requirements: agreed standards US$ 14.6 m
WASH: Number of people accessing safe and appropriate 125,000 80,178 sanitation facilities. Funding Gap: NUTRITION: UNICEF-targeted children in humanitarian $11.7m situations with SAM 6-59 months admitted into therapeutic 43,000 9,843 treatment programmes Funds available include funding received for the current appeal year as well as the carry-forward from the previous year.
*Calculated based on figures from the Angola Census 2014, taking 58.1 per cent for the child population.
UNICEF Angola Humanitarian Situation Report – January to June 2018
Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs The rainy season, associated with displacement and extensive flooding, has given rise to outbreaks of water-borne diseases, particularly cholera. In 2018, three provinces in Angola have reported suspected cases. In Uige and Cabinda, where cholera outbreaks affected almost 900 people and killed 15 people, no new cases have been registered in the last five weeks, after an effective initial response supported by UNICEF.
In May, a new cholera outbreak was declared in Luanda province, with 33 suspected cases, 3 lab-confirmed cases and 6 deaths. Conversely, no new cases have been reported in Uige and Cabinda provinces in the last five weeks. UNICEF has identified and ranked 7 out of the 18 provinces as being at high risk for cholera outbreaks. Although pre-positioning supplies and partnerships for those areas are key priorities in preparedness efforts, successive outbreaks and lack of funding and experienced partners is preventing UNICEF from adequately addressing those priorities in a timely manner.
Southern Angola is experiencing a chronic nutrition crisis stemming from the combined impacts of economic shock, limited rainfall and the deteriorating quality and reach of basic services. Access to safe 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.
Instability and potential for violence in the Kasai region of the DRC continues to remain a matter of concern. A total of 35,622 DRC refugees have been registered in Lunda Norte province from the start of the refugee influx to the last quarter of 2017. By the end of 2017, the situation of refugees improved with their transfer to a new settlement area in Lovua. Nevertheless, limited access to basic health services continues to pose heightened risk of disease outbreaks. Instability in the DRC could cause a new refugee influx into Angola during 2018 and will require continued monitoring and preparedness. UNICEF has started a new project to revamp its support in terms of WASH and C4D in Lovua settlement. A new partnership to ensure that refugee children with Severe and Moderate Acute Malnutrition receive appropriate treatment and that caregivers in Lovua settlement have appropriate knowledge on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices is also being developed. Simultaneously, UNICEF has signed an agreement to support capacity strengthening of key provincial government entities for improved social sector service delivery and resilience strengthening, focusing on the emergency response and development nexus beyond the refugee population.
The Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the DRC’s Equateur province in April 2018, and consequent high risk of spreading at regional level, prompted Angola to react. Under the leadership of the Civil Protection National Committee (CNPC), and with UNICEF and partners’ support, Angola drafted and approved the 2018 Ebola National Contingency Plan, while immediately implementing a set of preventive measures in its bordering provinces, including training of health and administration staff, as well as community and religious leaders on prevention and case management.
UNICEF Angola will be reviewing its Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC; currently $14,660,000 is required 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.
Humanitarian leadership and coordination The national emergency and disaster management group coordinates partners’ support and long-term emergency response planning. A high level inter-ministerial commission, led by the Minister of Defence continues to provide overall coordination for the refugee response in Lunda Norte. Under this commission, the Ministry of Social Assistance, Family and Women (MASFAMU) has led the humanitarian response in Lunda Norte from 2017 until June. From July onwards, the Ministry of Interior will take over the refugee response leadership.
Coordination mechanisms led by provincial governments facilitate local level inter-sectoral coordination involving local authorities and partners. A central level inter-sectoral mechanism was also established under the leadership of the Ministry of Health for coordination of health-related emergencies, notably cholera and malaria.
The UN Disaster Management Team also supports the Government’s response to urgent life-saving needs, while provincial coordination mechanisms were established for Cunene, Uige, Huila and Namibe to ensure joint coordinated emergency response in the cholera and drought-affected areas.
UNICEF Angola Humanitarian Situation Report – January to June 2018
Humanitarian Strategy Through rapid deployment and provision of pre-positioned supplies, UNICEF has delivered support for life-saving interventions while building local capacity to support emergency response and preparedness in Uige, Cunene, Huila, Bie, Namibe and Lunda Norte. In addition, UNICEF’s regular programme supports prevention and resilience building.
UNICEF’s implementation strategy in nutrition includes responses to both the DRC Refugees Crisis, severe drought emergency in Southern Provinces and support to Nutrition Systems Strengthening for better resilience to emergencies. Along with intensive WASH and health interventions, nutrition intervention, (including Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM), Vitamin A supplementation and deworming and the promotion and support of IYCF practices, are being implemented in the five most affected provinces, notably, Bié, Huila, Namibe, Cunene and Lunda Norte.
In all affected provinces, UNICEF supported the establishment of Government led coordination mechanisms to integrate synergies and joint efforts mainly in response to cholera outbreaks and drought.
The implementation of the cholera outbreak preparedness and response plan is being coordinated by the Government of Angola under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and the Provincial Health Directorates, with support from UNICEF, WHO and partners. Similarly, UNICEF and partners have been supporting the Civil Protection National Directorate to prepare and implement the Ebola National Contingency Plan.
UNICEF continues to support the provincial and central Government in Dundo, Lunda Norte province, and is working closely with UNHCR, implementing partners and civil society in the refugee influx response, while extending support to host communities through capacity strengthening of local authorities for better service delivery and resilience building.
Summary Analysis of Programme Response
Health and Nutrition UNICEF continues to monitor the situation in cholera-prone regions to ensure preparedness to quickly respond to requests for emergency support. UNICEF supported the National Directorate of Public Health to conduct an epidemiological study to map the areas and populations at risk of cholera, and the factors associated with its spread. Part of a wider ESAR cholera epidemiological study to map hotspots in nine countries, the results will contribute to better targeting cholera interventions in most at-risk locations and/or groups to prevent, prepare for and timely respond to outbreaks.
A national immunization campaign against measles, rubella and polio was conducted by the Government of Angola in April with the support of UNICEF, WHO and the Global Alliance for Vaccines (GAVI), targeting 14 million children. In the Province of Lunda Norte, 321,755 children were immunized against measles and rubella (77 per cent) and 161,361 against polio (98 per cent), including 3,130 refugee children.
With UNICEF's support, from January to June, 42,587 children under the age of 5 years have been screened for malnutrition, and 9,843 children were admitted into SAM treatment programmes in drought-affected areas. In June, UNICEF provided ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF), therapeutic milks (F75 and F100) and essential medicines (including antibiotics, ReSoMal, Vitamin A, Albendazole and Oral Rehydration Salts with Zinc tablets) to ensure 12 months’ SAM treatment for a caseload of 23,722 SAM children in both the drought provinces and Lunda Norte. Through the joint agreement with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Huila province, UNICEF also supported community screening and referral of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and SAM cases to Special Nutritional Therapeutic Centres, providing regular household monitoring visits to 395 families by 15 trained community health agents from January to June.
Training on SAM for health staff from Lunda Norte health facilities, including in Lovua municipality, is ready to start in the next weeks. This training will strengthen the capacity of health workers to provide regular treatment for children under 5 with SAM, which is especially important in Lovua as it will also benefit refugee children and host communities.
An agreement with an international NGO is under approval to cover nutritional screening (MUAC), to ensure that at least 90 per cent of refugee children aged between 6 and 59 months with Severe and Moderate Acute Malnutrition receive appropriate treatment. The project also covers information, education and communication (IEC) activities on appropriate feeding practices, WASH, and exclusive breastfeeding, as well as community kitchen demonstration, so that at least 70 per cent of caregivers in Lovua settlement have appropriate knowledge on IYCF practices. UNICEF Angola Humanitarian Situation Report – January to June 2018
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) From January to June, 158,500 people have been reached with safe water in drought-affected provinces through rehabilitation and installation of handpumps, in cholera affected neighbourhoods in Uíge province and in Lovua settlement. The cholera outbreak at the beginning of the year and the increase in the Congolese refugee population in Lovua settlement has led to an increase in the number of people requiring safe water than initially targeted.
More than 143,000 people have been engaged and reached with hygiene promotion messages in drought prone areas. In those provinces, 75,278 people are accessing safe and appropriate sanitation facilities through the implementation of the Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach.
In the beginning of the year, 107,000 people were reached with safe water in cholera-affected Uige province. A total of 39,400,000 litres of water were treated at household level with water treatment tablets provided by UNICEF in Uige. At least 130,000 people were engaged and reached with hygiene promotion messages.
UNICEF interventions for the DRC refugee population in Lunda Norte continued through the support to provincial government and partners on the ground, focusing on WASH capacity development and resilience strengthening. All 13,637 refugees living in Lovua settlement and 2,000 in host communities have been provided with access to safe water supplied jointly by UNICEF and UNHCR with current average of 19 litres/person/day exceeding the Sphere minimum standards. Over 2,500 refugees using emergency communal latrines received Latrine Cleaning Kits, composed of soap, brushes, buckets, jerry cans and Creolin for disinfection. Drilling of four boreholes and establishment of a water distribution network in Lovua settlement is expected to be initiated, benefitting not only the current 13,637 refugees living in Lovua settlement, but also the remaining 8,709 who will be relocated to the settlement in the next months. In the past two months, 36 refugees, including 13 social mobilizers (7 women; 6 men) and 23 construction staff, were recruited, trained and equipped to help construct household and communal latrines, communal showers, water distribution points and garbage pits. A cumulative total of 980 household latrines and showers were built from January to June. The construction of 72 new household latrines has already started in one of the Lovua settlement targeted villages. To date, 4,900 people have access to safe and appropriate sanitation facilities.
UNICEF has also provided WASH supplies (including latrine slabs, tarpaulins, buckets, water bladders and water purification chemicals) for improved safe water provision, storage and sanitation services for the DRC Refugees response in Lunda Norte. At least 13,606 people have been engaged and reached with hygiene promotion messages.
Child Protection UNICEF has continued to engage with Lunda Norte provincial government and civil society for the monitoring of child protection issues among refugee communities. However, lack of emergency funding has prevented UNICEF from supporting municipal authorities and service providers to develop a referral system specifically tailored to violence against children (VAC), sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and trafficking in Lunda Norte. Nevertheless, to continuously strengthen the child protection system in the affected areas, UNICEF has included child protection in emergencies in the provincial work plan for Lunda Norte, namely to ensure provision of birth registration, and implement a referral system and a child protection network, benefitting refugee communities. Trainings provided to law enforcement agents during last year's emergency response, has enabled them to closely monitor and prevent child trafficking and violence against children in the refugee settlement.
At national level, UNICEF is partnering with the National Immigration Services to strengthen the case management system for better protection of the rights of children on the move including refugee, migrant and trafficked children. Lack of funding has prevented the continuation of key UNICEF interventions such as child friendly spaces, child protection case management and social mobilization activities for prevention of violence against children.
Education Following an official decree issued by the Ministry of Education to enrol refugee children in public schools, UNICEF together with UNHCR is working with the Lunda Norte Provincial Direction and the Lovua municipality to discuss the implementation of formal education for refugees and hosting communities. A workshop with all stakeholders will take place in August 2018 to explore the possibility of starting formal education in the coming school year. In the meantime, Education in Emergencies (EiE) material (5 tents, 12 early childhood development (ECD) kits, 20 school-in-a-box kits, 500 school bags, 10 maths and 8 recreational kits and other material such as clay modelling drawing books, pencils, and crayons) to establish temporary learning spaces for children at pre-primary and primary school age is already in Lovua municipality and will be distributed soon to the refugees and hosting communities. The Ministry of Education also contributed with 1,500 didactic material, sent to Lovua through UNICEF to support the interventions. UNICEF Angola Humanitarian Situation Report – January to June 2018
From January to June, 839 children in floods-affected communities accessed education services supported by UNICEF. In the Nharea municipality, Bie province, UNICEF supported the education authorities to re-establish classes by providing two tents and school kits for children and teachers, after strong rains and winds destroyed a school and 200 primary school children were deprived from classes. In May, 4 tents, 12 ECD kits, 20 school-in-a-box, 11 math and 8 recreational kits, and 500 school bags were sent to Cunene in response to floods that affected several schools, causing children to attend classes under the trees. UNICEF is also supporting the Government of Huila to establish temporary learning spaces in Eiva and Toco to ensure the continuation of formal education for children from floods-affected communities in Lubango. For this purpose, in April, two tents were assembled and school materials distributed, reaching 139 children.
In terms of health outbreaks, UNICEF continues its support to the Ministry of Education (MoE) to monitor the schools that benefitted from trainings on cholera and mosquito borne diseases prevention, held in October 2017. A total of 135 schools (15 from Cabinda, 15 from Cunene, 83 from Luanda, 8 from Lunda Norte and 14 in Zaire) from hotspots areas were monitored and reports with key recommendations were produced to be shared with schools. In Zaire province, a new training was conducted for 34 teachers from 19 schools. In Luanda, 67 members from schools that had had a low implementation of the previous trainings’ recommendations benefited from a refreshment session. In total, these sessions and monitoring visits throughout the country benefited 124,404 students. UNICEF also supported the MoE to conduct awareness sessions on Ebola prevention for school communities (school principals, teachers, students, parents, education provincial personnel) with the participation of approximately 400 people in Moxico and Uige provinces. The sessions were co-facilitated by representatives of provincial health and civil protection departments.
The 89 per cent education funding gap has had an impact on the number of children in humanitarian situations accessing education services, which currently stands at a mere 6 per cent of the planned target.
Communication for Development In response to the cholera outbreak in Uíge, UNICEF tested key message materials and trained over 200 community activists (including 150 new Community Development Agents ADECOS), boy scouts, environmentalist organizations and religious associations on community interventions techniques and messages for cholera prevention and response. UNICEF also conducted a Training of Trainers for 44 members of 17 grassroots civil society organizations to train their associates on cholera, malaria, community outreach and organization of mobilization activities. Over 100 volunteer youth conducted daily door-to-door visits to disseminate cholera prevention messages, distributed water treatment products and communication materials. Additionally, 500 community and religious leaders were trained on cholera prevention through Jangos and other community meetings.
In response to the current cholera outbreak in Luanda, UNICEF has supported training of 500 mobilizers (church leaders, scouts, and members of communities) who are promoting dialogue on cholera prevention in the communities through daily house visits in the municipality of Talatona. The trainings are based on a guide developed by UNICEF with information about community mobilization, cholera, oral rehydration solution, safe drinking water preparation and storage, handwashing, sanitation, food preparation, handling a death that occurs at home, and stigma associated with cholera. In total, UNICEF provided 10,500 WASH-related IEC materials for an immediate response in the neighbourhood affected by severe acute diarrhoea. In total, 1,250 mobilizers were trained on cholera prevention with UNICEF support in Uige and Luanda’s cholera affected communities through door-to-door visits, reaching over 185,000 people.
UNICEF has started a new partnership with an international NGO to implement C4D interventions for the DRC refugee population in Lunda Norte, aiming to empower the refugee population and to build the capacity of village leaders in terms of key family competencies, conflict resolution and services management. As part of this new project, four radio journalists, two comedians, two supervisors and over 80 mobilizers from 41 villages were trained on radio and community and participatory theatre techniques, children’s participation and key messages on WASH, nutrition, health, child protection and peace. Every week, an average of 130 people, half of them children, participate live in the two UNICEF- supported radios. Once a week, there are two special programmes made by and for children. The two comedians perform in all villages in the camp, reaching around 500 people per day with WASH, nutrition, key family competencies and peace key messages. At the end of this UNICEF-supported project, community and village leaders, as well as social mobilizers, radio animators and comedians will be able to manage a platform to deliver services for the most vulnerable children and women through a permanent participatory process.
As part of the drought response, UNICEF is supporting the implementation of the Family Competencies programme, a cross-sectoral methodology to promote resilience and essential practices at the household level and to create demand for basic social services for children through a strategic alliance between the Department of Family and Health and faith- UNICEF Angola Humanitarian Situation Report – January to June 2018 based organizations. UNICEF engaged 800 women from faith-based organizations and women groups of rural villages of the Huila Province. These leaders are promoting family competencies in the areas health, nutrition and hygiene during weekly meetings in their churches potentially reaching 3,600 families. UNICEF also developed an integrated approach to deliver health services to rural communities in Huila called Health for All (Todos com Saúde). As part of this programme, health promotion supervisors were trained to mobilize families before and during the outreach visits. Through training of teachers, about 3,300 students, parents and education staff from UNICEF’s Child Friendly Schools initiative in rural villages of Bié Province were potentially reached with messages on healthy nutrition practices, including the use of local products to prevent malnutrition.
Funding UNICEF Angola consolidated its humanitarian funding requirements for 2018 under the HAC which amounts to US$ 14, 660,000 and reflects the increasing humanitarian needs exacerbated by the current economic and financial crisis. During the reporting period, the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the US Department of State USA has contributed with US$ 1,789,407 for the DRC refugee support operations in Lunda Norte to continue humanitarian assistance in the area of safe water supply. In addition, the Government of Japan has contributed with US$ 231,481 for the DRC refugee support operations in Lunda Norte to continue humanitarian assistance in the areas of nutrition, water, hygiene and sanitation, as well as the promotion of good health practices. Nevertheless, UNICEF Angola currently faces a funding gap of USD 11,729,578 to continue to effectively respond to multiple humanitarian crisis affecting the country, namely seasonal floods and droughts, and water borne diseases outbreaks in critical locations as well as the refugee response at the border with DRC. To address urgent needs, UNICEF Angola had to use around US$ 35,000 from non- humanitarian funding sources, mainly for supplies.
Resources are urgently needed to enable UNICEF Angola to support treatment of acute malnutrition; provide safe and appropriate sanitation facilities, promote community engagement and scale up response interventions in health, education, and child protection, while also providing life-saving support as and when required.
Funding Requirements (as defined in Humanitarian Appeal of 2018 Funds available Funding gap Appeal Sector Requirements Funds Received Carry-Over $ % Current Year WASH 2,600,000 1,883,235 1,376 715,388 28 Education 500,000 54,803 445,197 89 Health 7,200,000 904,991 6,295,009 87 Nutrition 2,000,000 93,828 1,906,172 95 Child Protection 900,000 3,165 896,835 100 Coordination, PME, 1,460,000 43,826 1,416,174 97 Communication Total 14,660,000 2,075,692 909,532 11,674,776 80 * Funds available includes funding received against current appeal as well as carry-forward from the previous year.
UNICEF Angola: https://www.unicef.org/angola UNICEF Angola: https://www.facebook.com/UNICEFAngola/ UNICEF Angola: https://twitter.com/unicefangola UNICEF Angola: https://www.youtube.com/user/UNICEFangola
Who to Abubacar Sultan Mariana Palavra Niko Wieland contact for Representative Emergency Focal Point Chief of Communication UNICEF Angola UNICEF Angola UNICEF Angola further Tel: +244 226 430 870 (Ext. 4442) Tel: +244 948 143 068 Tel: +244 912 653 017 information: Fax: +244 226 430 878 Fax: +244 226 430 878 Fax: +244 226 430 878 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
UNICEF Angola Humanitarian Situation Report – January to June 2018
Annex 1 SUMMARY OF PROGRAMME RESULTS 2018
UNICEF and Implementing Partners Response Total Results Change since last 2018 Target (January –June report ▲▼ 2018) NUTRITION UNICEF-targeted children in humanitarian situations with SAM 6-59 months admitted into therapeutic 43,000 9,843 6,534▲ treatment programmes
UNICEF-targeted children in humanitarian situations 275,000 42,587 4,781▲ under 5 years old screened for malnutrition
HEALTH UNICEF-targeted children 6 months to 14 years in humanitarian situations who are vaccinated against 15,000 2,343 No change measles Number of cholera cases managed with UNICEF support. 400 0 No change WATER, SANITATION & HYGIENE Number of people accessing safe water as 125,000 158,500 27,985▲ per agreed standards Number of people accessing safe and appropriate 125,000 80,178 3,992 ▲ sanitation facilities. Number of people reached with key 470,000 287 433 157,433▲ messages on hygiene practices CHILD PROTECTION UNICEF-targeted children in humanitarian situations 5,000 0 No change accessing Child Friendly Spaces Number of people reached by key protection messages 25,000 0 No change in humanitarian situations UNICEF-targeted children in humanitarian situations 190 0 No change reached by child protection services (VAC) EDUCATION UNICEF-targeted children in humanitarian situations 14,000 839 7001▲ accessing education services
1 Numbers will increase in the next Situation Report, as several education supplies, already sent to the field, will be used in the coming weeks, benefitting hundreds of school children.