Highlights
§ An estimated 1.42 million people are affected (including 756,000 children) by the drought, including 800,000 people food insecure in the provinces of Cunene, Namibe and Huila. There are an estimated 95,877 Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) caseloads in the 7 most affected provinces, with 44,511 cases of SAM registered in the Provinces of Huila, Cunene and Namibe.
§ Since January 2016 a Yellow Fever epidemic has unfolded, with 2,023 cases and 258 deaths reported to date. Yellow Fever has been laboratory confirmed in 13 provinces in the country. As of 24 April, a total of 7.2 million people have been vaccinated against yellow fever in the provinces of Luanda, Huambo and Benguela.
§ Through UNICEF support, 380,000 copies of Yellow Fever education booklets are in the process of being printed, along with awareness banners and vector control booklets.
§ UNICEF has delivered 19,000 water containers, 540 jerry cans, over 1.9 million water purification tablets, 400 family hygiene and dignity kits, 500 latrine slabs and over 1,700 WASH manuals for community leaders to vulnerable families in the provinces of Huila, Cunene and Namibe.
§ UNICEF and the Provincial Directorate of Energy and Water are targeting 147,000 people in Namibe, Cunene and Huila with access to safe water, through the rehabilitation of non-functional boreholes.
Key figures
6.7 million People Affected
(1.4 million affected by drought, 6.7 million at risk of Yellow Fever)
3.45 million Children Affected
(756,000 affected by drought and 3.45 million children at risk of Yellow Fever)
95,877 Children with SAM in the 7 most drought affected provinces 44,511 Children with SAM in the 3 most drought affected provinces
Funding Requirements US$ 21.5 million
Funding Gap 79%
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Angola is prone to cyclical effects of climatic change which have resulted in recent months in severe droughts affecting a total of 11 provinces. Most affected are the three border provinces of Cunene, Namibe and Huila where UNICEF is focusing its interventions. This year the El Nino weather phenomenon has resulted in food production losses of nearly 90 per cent and has left 800,000 people facing food insecurity.
Undernutrition rates have doubled over the past 6 months from 2.8% SAM cases in June 2015 to now between 5%-7%, while GAM rates currently range between 15%-21%. Potable water access is concerning as people are using unclean water for consumption and cooking and are forced to share untreated stagnant water with animals, giving rise to the risk of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases. More than 80% of existing boreholes in the most affected provinces are non-functional and absent of safe water. The drought is exacerbating migratory movements of whole communities, including cross-border movements, which raises child protection concerns - from sexual abuse of girls exposed while walking long distances to fetch water to child labour and reduced school attendance. The food security situation is expected to worsen from July to the end of the year due to meagre yields and possible floods with the La Nina effect.
In January the National IHR Focal Point of Angola notified WHO of a Yellow Fever (YF) outbreak. The total number of suspected cases is steadily growing and has reached 2,023 cases with 258 deaths reported. Yellow Fever has been laboratory confirmed in 13 provinces in the country. As of 24 April 2016, a total of 7.2 million people have been vaccinated against yellow fever in the provinces of Luanda, Huambo and Benguela.