P 061614Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY LUANDA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5424
INFO AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
USMISSION GENEVA 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
USEU BRUSSELS
USMISSION UN ROME 
SECDEF WASHDC
JOINT STAFF WASHDC
CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
NSC WASHINGTON DC
SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS LUANDA 000232 
 
 
AIDAC 
 
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA HALE, POWER, ROGERS; USAID FOR DCHA/FFP 
PETERSON; USAID FOR AFR/SA HARMON, MENDELSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID AO
SUBJECT: ASSESSMENT OF FLOODING IN CUNENE AND CUANDO,CUBANGO 
PROVINCES, SOUTHERN ANGOLA 
 
Ref:  a)Luanda 154,  b)Luanda 166, c)State 026112, d)Luanda 187 
 
 
SUMMARY 
 
From March 26 through March 31, a multi-agency team, including a 
USAID Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) Southern 
Africa acting regional advisor and a USAID Food for Peace 
(USAID/FFP) officer, visited Luanda and flood-affected provinces of 
Cunene and Cuando Cubango in southern Angola.  The team met with 
UN, IO, NGO, USG Angola mission officers, flood-affected 
populations, and local officials to assess the adequacy of current 
relief efforts, identify critical gaps in the response effort, and 
recommend additional assistance. Further efforts are needed to 
prevent potentially large outbreaks of water-borne disease (e.g., 
cholera) and malaria as flood waters recede. In addition to the 
floods, the heavy, untimely rains damaged crops throughout the 
provinces, threatening food security. As of March 30, the Government 
of Angola (GOA) had spent $8 million for emergency response, and 
Exxon-Mobil pledged $75,000 to help the GOA response.  The USG has 
provided $65,000 for immediate relief and assessment.  The UN 
Central Emergency Response Fund (CEFF) has awarded $2.3 million for 
emergency response to the UN Children?s Fund (UNICEF), World Health 
Organization (WHO) and International Organization for Migration 
(IOM), for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), shelter, and 
health. The National Commission for Civil Protection (CP) has 
generally responded well. Their coordination of the response greatly 
improved since the flood of 2008.  However, there is concern about 
the GOA?s technical capacity to assess, adequately resource and 
maintain distribution of assistance post-emergency, beyond the 
completion of the CP?s mandate of emergency response. The USG should 
consider support for food assistance, WASH, shelter, and 
livelihoods-recovery projects.  Longer term, disaster risk reduction 
(DRR) activities, including support for development of flood early 
warning systems, should also be considered. 
 
OBSERVATIONS 
 
¶1. Response to date:  At a meeting with donors and the humanitarian 
community on March 30, the GOA CP reported it had spent $8 million 
on emergency response to date.  The head of CP stated that it 
welcomes international support, but will not issue a formal 
declaration of emergency, as the GOA is capable of handling the 
response.  As previously reported, the GOA delivered extensive 
relief supplies to the affected areas using government air assets. 
On March 30, Exxon-Mobil announced a $75,000 contribution to the GOA 
response. UN agencies previously allocated $600,000, and now the UN 
Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has granted an additional 
$2.3 million to provide access to safe water (UNICEF), increase 
availability of health services (WHO) and provide shelter materials 
and non-food items (IOM).  The International Federation of Red Cross 
and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) informed the assessment team of an 
appeal that will be released by mid-April to support the work of the 
Angola Red Cross (ARC).  The USG has provided $65,000 to date, which 
funded air transport for this assessment and granted $48,000 to 
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to support immediate relief in 
Cunene.  This assistance, to be provided through CRS partner, 
Caritas, will distribute flood emergency kits to 3,000 households. 
The European Commission is sending a technical assessment team to 
Angola the first week of April, and the World Food Programme team 
plans an assessment of food security. 
 
THE ASSESSMENT VISIT: 
 
¶2. USAID/Angola invited USAID/OFDA and USAID/FFP to join the US 
Embassy deputy chief of mission, USAID/Angola and representatives of 
UNICEF, IFRC, CRS, and IOM on an assessment mission to hard-hit 
municipalities of Ondjiva, Namacunde, Cuvelai and Xangongo in Cunene 
province. Due to logistical and access difficulties, only the 
provincial capital of Menongue was visited in Cuando Cubango 
province. Representatives of CP accompanied the mission throughout. 
The team flew over flood-affected areas of both provinces. Members 
met key government and CP officials in both provinces.  In Cunene, 
they met officials from CP at the municipality and commune level and 
members of the affected populations.  OFDA briefly met with members 
of a UN WHO team that was in Cunene to conduct a joint assessment of 
public needs with the Ministry of Health.  Team members also met 
with Oxfam in the provincial capital of Ondjiva, where that 
organization partners with UNICEF and ARC to assist in the camps, 
the director of the Ministry of Assistance and Social Reintegration 
(MINARS), and the Catholic Diocese of Ondjiva/Caritas. 
 
 
GENERAL FLOOD SITUATION: 
 
¶3. The National Institute of Meteorology of Angola predicted that 
abnormally heavy rains will last into April.  Local officials 
predicted that the rains and flooding could continue into May in 
some areas.  On March 30, the UN estimated that floods affected 
220,000 people in Cunene, Cuando Cubango, Moxico, Malange, Bie, 
Huambo, and Lunda Sul provinces, with 22 deaths nationwide, mostly 
due to drowning. Others were crushed by falling homes or killed by 
displaced animals (crocodiles, hippos).  While CP reports that the 
focus is shifting to recovery in Cunene, the UN and IOM report that 
the situation in Cuando Cubango is still ?worsening.?  There is 
growing concern for Moxico Province, where the Zambezi River 
continues to rise. 
 
¶4. The UN reports the displacement of 52,646 people and 13 deaths in 
Cunene Province, with 25,000 in relocation camps in Ondjiva.  Other 
displaced people stay with family or neighbors. Ondjiva normally 
receives 5-600 mm of water per year. In 2008, 800mm were recorded, 
and in 2009, 922 mm have already fallen. The provincial ministry of 
agriculture reported 225,000 hectares of agricultural land 
destroyed, and 363,500 animals at risk of death. CP and other 
government officials told the team that floods damaged primary and 
secondary roads, bridges and water/sanitation infrastructure, but 
several key access routes (e.g., Ondjiva-Cuvelai and 
Ondjiva-Namibia) have recently reopened as waters receded and 
necessary repairs were made. In Ondjiva, the provincial CP holds 
daily briefings and coordination meetings with stakeholders. 
 
¶5. In Cuando Cubango province, the UN reports 30,000 people directly 
affected and 12,000 people displaced by flooding in the 
municipalities of Menongue, Calai, Cuangar, Dirico, Rivungo, Kus and 
Mavinga.  Provincial CP reported no access to Cuangar, Dirico and 
Calai, along the Cubango River (note: aka Okavango in Namibia), as 
the road from Menongue has been impassable.  The airstrip in Calai 
has flooded and is reported to be unusable. Poor access has made 
accurate assessment of damage and needs impossible as of the visit 
on March 28.  Even with helicopters, great distances and logistical 
problems make thorough assessment and relief delivery difficult. The 
GOA has reportedly asked the Government of Namibia for support in 
accessing these areas.  Further assessment of affected areas not yet 
adequately reached will be needed to provide more accurate 
information on numbers affected, damages and needs.  It is possible 
that numbers affected will change as access improves. 
 
¶6. In Moxico province, the UN reported 44,000 people affected by 
flooding, with 12,000 people displaced and 1,048 houses destroyed. 
In the municipality of Luau, 986 families lost their houses; in the 
capital of Luena, along the Cassai River, 121 families; and in 
Lumbala municipality, on the Zambezi River, 62 families. 
 
DISPLACEMENT AND CAMPS: 
 
¶7. The assessment team visited three camps housing displaced persons 
(IDPs) in Ondjiva.  According to the CP and UN, approximately 25,000 
people reside in the three camps; however, numbers provided during 
visits suggested no more than 10,000.  The reason for this 
discrepancy is not clear.  The vast majority of households in the 
camps have been there since last year?s floods.  Some went back to 
their original, flooded homes after waters receded last year, but 
returned to the camps with the new floods. 
 
¶8. The camps are managed by CP, with support from elected camp 
residents and Angolan Red Cross volunteers.  UNICEF, in cooperation 
with CP, Oxfam and the Angola Red Cross, provide water, sanitation 
and hygiene promotion in the camps.  Two camps were established in 
¶2008.  A third camp was established in 2009, but many of its 
residents were also displaced in 2008. All camp residents are housed 
in tents provided by CP.  The camp management reported that most 
camp residents are employed, some with the government. The team 
noted the presence of generators, satellite television dishes, and 
gardens. It?s generally believed that people remain in the camps 
waiting for the construction of 2500 houses promised by the GOA last 
year. At the time of the visit, only one prototype house had been 
constructed, and it flooded this year.  A recent GOA delegation to 
Camp 2 renewed the promise of new home construction.  Camp managers 
felt that allocation of plots and provision of building materials 
might be enough to motivate camp residents to relocate. 
 
¶9. Water, sanitation and hygiene present significant problems in the 
camps.  In Camps 1 and 3, which are adjacent, there were four water 
bladders with tap stands that were unfilled, pending transport by CP 
of a UNICEF portable water-treatment system that would fill the 
bladders from a nearby pond.  In Camp 2, four boreholes were 
drilled, but only one was usable.  Due to damage done during 
drilling, the other 3 are salty. To compensate, trucks bring water 
to tanks.  In Camps 1 and 3, latrines built by UNICEF and Oxfam last 
year collapsed, and the zinc sheeting surrounding them was stolen. 
Oxfam and CP are constructing new latrines.  In Camp 2, the zinc 
sheets are intact, but the water table has risen into the latrines, 
making them unusable until the water subsides. 
 
¶10. Generally, since camp residents have resumed or continued their 
livelihood pursuits, managers readily admitted it is questionable 
that this whole population needs food assistance at this time.  They 
have income and ready access to markets. Exceptions may be the newly 
displaced and small business operators who remain at a disadvantage 
because the camps are located far from the market, and transport 
costs cut into their profits. 
 
¶11. With conservative reports estimating 52,000 people displaced in 
Cunene, more than half have sought shelter with other families.  The 
situation of those living with hosts has not been assessed. Many of 
the displaced have lost or experienced heavy damage to their houses 
and may require support to rebuild or repair existing structures. 
IOM received support, through the CERF, to provide shelter 
assistance to 300 vulnerable families in Cunene and only 150 
families each in Cuando Cubango and Moxico.  There is likely a need 
for additional assistance with shelter materials. 
 
GENERALLY POOR/NO HARVEST AFFECTING GENERAL POPULATION 
 
¶12. The agricultural ministry, municipal administrators, and farmers 
reported that there would be little to nothing harvested this year 
in the provinces visited.  The excessive rains affected all farmers 
and all crops.  Sorghum was stunted and showed signs of nitrogen 
deprivation.  Observation from the air showed that the damage went 
far beyond the flooded area.  The long, heavy rains came when plants 
were in a young fragile state.  Some were washed away, but all 
suffered from the deprivation of sun and warmth during the critical 
growth period.  Heavy rains leached nutrients from the soil, 
especially in areas where the soil is sandy.  There is a single 
cropping season when farmers cultivate cereal, peanuts, and 
pumpkins.  Another chance to harvest will not come until May 2010. 
For many of the affected provinces, this is the second to fourth 
consecutive year of poor production -- due to drought in 2006 and 
2007, followed by floods in 2008 and 2009. 
 
COPING IN RURAL AREAS WITHOUT CEREAL HARVEST 
 
¶13. Without a cereal harvest, households with livestock were 
identified as those best able to sustain themselves.  Dairy products 
provide good nutrition; animals may be traded for flour or cash; 
they provide transportation to and from markets; and in the next 
cropping season, they will provide draught power.  However, 
livestock numbers were severely depleted during Angola?s 32-year 
civil war (1975-2002), and drought, flood, disease and sales 
necessitated by poor harvest have hampered recovery of the numbers. 
Few households (mostly returned refugees and decommissioned 
soldiers) have benefited from restocking support. 
 
¶14. Wild foods and household gardens provide nutrition currently and 
will remain important until conditions become too dry.  The floods 
brought fish that people were catching and drying for later 
consumption. 
 
¶15. Other livelihood pursuits that bolster household food security 
are casual labor and remittances from relatives in Namibia or urban 
centers. 
 
REPORTS OF STARVATION 
 
¶16. Caritas has received reports of starvation from communicants who 
come to their churches from remote areas. In February, a Caritas 
team followed a report to one site of these reports and found 
severely wasted adults.  Based on the nature of the other reports, 
they believe that there are likely to be similar cases scattered 
throughout Cunene province.  It may be that these households are 
particularly disadvantaged by the remoteness of their homesteads, 
which limits their access to markets and health and veterinary care, 
as well as inhibiting access by others who would distribute food or 
provide services.  It is also possible these cases are HIV/AIDS 
related.  Caritas shared the reports with MINARS, and the provincial 
director reported plans to investigate further, plans that were 
delayed by the floods. 
 
GOVERNMENT FOOD ASSISTANCE 
 
¶17. MINARS has three food distribution programs: An emergency 
response for short-term assistance to those displaced; a program for 
long-term assistance for chronic welfare cases (elderly, 
HIV-affected, unemployed); and extended relief for the 2008 flood 
victims, which is expected to continue for the 2009 victims. 
Planned rations for all programs are robust, but reports indicate 
that the quantities provided by the central government have been 
insufficient.  Different means adopted at the local level to 
"stretch" the commodities included: reducing rations or stretching 
the period between distributions; eliminating households from the 
chronic-welfare caseload; and serving only flood victims that 
resembled chronic-welfare cases. 
 
¶18. The central government allocates food to provinces, which, in 
turn, allocate to municipalities on unclear bases, with little or no 
monitoring of the needs or of the food distribution. The team found 
no evidence that quantities supplied by the central government are 
based on local assessments. 
 
FOOD SECURITY AND FOOD ASSISTANCE: CONCLUSIONS 
 
¶19. Given the general failure of the crops, it appears that rural 
households without sufficient livestock will almost certainly face 
significant food insecurity during the coming year.  Also vulnerable 
are those who live in the most remote areas, far from markets, 
veterinary services, and centers of food-distribution operations. 
Consequently, it is likely that a considerable portion of the rural 
population in the provinces visited, not just those affected 
directly by the floods, will need food assistance until the next 
harvest. Households in camps of urban IDPs are less likely to need 
food support.  Further assessment is needed to accurately quantify 
the proportion of households that will be food insecure, as well as 
the degree and period of food insecurity.  And, given the wealth and 
apparent commitment of GoA officials to solve their own problem, it 
seems preferable that WFP work with MINARS to build capacity at the 
municipality and provincial levels to assess and report food needs 
to the central government and to effectively target and efficiently 
distribute food. Angola may have sufficient resources to acquire 
food, but apparently lacks capacity to accurately define needs and 
distribute the food.  Given the difficult access to many of the most 
vulnerable households, this is a daunting undertaking. 
 
WASH AND HEALTH: 
 
¶20. At the March 30 meeting with the UN country team, donors and 
other humanitarian actors, the head of the CP said that the CP?s 
main concern now is the prevention of a new ?disease disaster? that 
could arise post-flooding.  WASH is a major concern in all 
flood-affected areas.  Officials at the provincial and municipal 
levels reported significant damage to water-treatment facilities, 
water points, sanitation systems, and other WASH infrastructure. 
Floods raised water tables and contaminated water points.  As flood 
waters recede in Cunene now, and later in Cuando Cubango, concern 
continues regarding possible outbreaks of water-borne disease due to 
poor access to safe water in both rural and urban areas.  There is 
also the likelihood of a higher incidence of malaria, due to the 
amount of stagnant water. UNICEF is working closely with the GOA and 
partners to address WASH issues.  WHO has fielded an emergency team 
to the affected areas to work with the Ministry of Health on disease 
surveillance and mosquito-net sensitization campaigns for malaria 
prevention. 
 
DISASTER RISK REDUCTION: 
 
¶21. USAID/OFDA and USAID/FFP reps consulted with USAID/Angola, UN 
agencies, CP and other humanitarian actors regarding the status of 
early warning systems and risk-reduction activities and found that 
there was a clear need for early warning systems in flood-affected 
areas, as well as risk-mapping of flood-prone areas.  The CP noted 
that it has engaged technical consultants to examine risks and 
possible mitigation projects.  With the absence of a Vulnerability 
Assessment Committee (VAC) and the closure of the Angola FEWSNET 
office over a year ago, there is an apparent gap in technical 
expertise at the national level. 
 
¶22. Oxfam, IFRC and CRS, among others, expressed intent in 
developing DRR programs. CP?s mandate is only emergency response; 
therefore, DRR activities must links up with ministries concerned 
with longer-term recovery and disaster preparedness.  At present, 
capacity seems weak in this arena. 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS 
¶23. Based on the assessment team?s discussions and observations, the 
following areas/sectors present gaps and should be considered for 
additional support (in order of immediate relief to intermediate 
recovery): 
 
¶24. Support provision of shelter materials and other non-food items 
to ensure wider coverage of needs, and to support the return of 
displaced in camps, as well as rebuilding in affected rural areas. 
 
¶25. Support to the WASH sector if UNICEF and its partners are unable 
to meet demands with their current level of funding.  Such 
interventions as hygiene promotion, distribution of hygiene kits, 
water treatment, and rehabilitation of sanitation facilities should 
be considered. 
 
¶26. Support for livelihoods recovery for rural households that have 
suffered catastrophic loss of assets.  Support might take the form 
of targeted Cash-for- Work projects to add income to households. 
Examples are road rehabilitation, water and sanitation 
rehabilitation and school rehabilitation. 
 
¶27. Because of the apparent advantage and significance of livestock 
rearing to food security in these provinces, the assessment team 
recommends considering support for programs to increase livestock 
numbers in the area, being careful not to exceed the numbers that 
the land can support in normal years.  This could include 
interventions to restock, improve coverage of vaccination/veterinary 
services, and develop low-tech early warning to alert owners of 
when/where to move animals as flood waters rise. 
 
¶28. Support continued work with USAID/Angola and relevant UN 
agencies to explore appropriate avenues to support Disaster Risk 
Reduction during the post-flood recovery period and beyond. 
Consideration should be given to providing support to partners to 
assist the GOA in building flood and famine early warning systems, 
flood risk-mapping, and community preparedness planning. 
 
¶29. USAID/Angola and the regional office of USAID/FFP should 
encourage the World Food Programme and the GOA to work together to 
assess the needs and provide food assistance to food-insecure rural 
households in the southern provinces.  The assessment and 
distribution should be conducted in ways that build capacities at 
the central, provincial and municipality levels of the GOA, 
including strengthening the capacity of the national early warning 
unit. 
 
CONCLUSION 
 
¶30. USAID/Angola will continue to coordinate with USAID/OFDA and 
USAID/FFP to monitor the situation and urges OFDA and FFP to give 
every consideration to specific requests for additional assistance 
against the identified gaps and recommendations detailed above. 
 
HAWKINS