IR-PREP Emergency food assistance for DRC refugees and IDPs from the greater Kasai region

This immediate response emergency operation (IR-EMOP) will be implemented around Dundo, Lunda Norte Province in Angola to support refugees who have fled conflict in Kasai, DRC. As of mid-April 2017, refugees entering Angola are being located in Cacanda and Mussunge reception centres near Dundo town as well as some villages along the border.

According to UNHCR, the government is planning to allocate a new site in Nzaji, Camulo municipality some 90 kilometers from the border. The site was previously used to host internally displaced persons during the civil war in Angola. Preparations by UNHCR are underway to assess the site with a view to eventually relocating the refugees currently located in the reception centers.

While Ministry of Assistance and Social Reintegration (MINARS) and UNHCR are using the planning figure of 20,000, considering the arrival rate, it is estimated about 23,000 refugees and possibly host communities will require immediate food assistance.

Together with FAO, WFP will conduct a rapid food security assessment of the refugees and host communities, as well as supply chain analysis at the beginning of the IR-EMOP to further develop a strategy for delivering food. Market assessment in Dundo will also be conducted to assess the feasibility of intervening with CBT.

Together with the Government of Angola, local authorities, and UNHCR, WFP will organize the supply chain of the food and hand over to UNHCR at FDPs for UNHCR to distribute food to refugees who were officially registered by UNHCR in the two reception centres.  UNHCR is currently conducting registration exercises to establish a database of refugees and monitor new arrivals. UNHCR will plans to partner with the NGO Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS). Active nutrition screening will be conducted in the reception centres in order to identify MAM and SAM cases and treat accordingly.