ZAMBIA: Aid agencies warn of impending malnutrition

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

JOHANNESBURG, 13 Dec 2004 (IRIN) - United Nations aid agencies have again appealed to donors to step up assistance to the estimated 200,000 refugees in Zambia, who have seen their food rations halved in the last two months due to the lack of funds.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Monday said it was "extremely concerned" and warned that the deteriorating situation was likely to impact on the health of the refugees.

"This is a grave concern and, although the medical staff have not reported any cases of malnutrition yet, they have informed us that we are likely to see the first cases of malnourishment within a week unless something is done quite quickly," UNHCR spokeswomen, Melita Sunjic, told IRIN.

Sunjic explained that agencies had been forced to halve the rations of pulses in October, and of cereals in November, due to poor donor response to a US $3.2 million appeal in September to cover the food needs of the refugees until the end of 2004. Food distribution in general would be halved unless funds were forthcoming, she said.

"The current rainy season has assisted in some way, because the refugees are managing to supplement their diet with ripe mangoes and edible wild leaves in the forest, but the energy value they receive from these additional meals is insufficient," Sunjic explained.

There was also concern that the food shortages would compromise the voluntary repatriation operation to Angola. The UN refugee agency, the World Food Programme and their partner organisations promised each returnee seven kilograms of maize - down from 14 kg - plus 1.5 kg of pulses, 150 grams of salt and 0.9 litres of oil every month for a year.

"The refugees have been away from their homes for decades; they can't go back and rebuild their lives if they are malnourished - they won't have the energy for agricultural activities," the UN refugee agency said.

More than 172,000 Angolan refugees have returned home with UNHCR assistance since the Luena peace agreement of April 2002 ended 27 years of civil war in Angola.

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