/ 9 April 1999

ANGOLA FOOD CRISIS

ANGOLAN authorities are opposed to setting up humanitarian corridors for civilians affected by the civil war, government sources said on Wednesday. The United Nations World Food Programme supports such measures in order to ensure essential food can be distributed. But the government believes the current military situation precludes the setting up of the corridors. The war in Angola has led to around 1.5 million people being displaced, according to the United Nations. Renewed fighting in several areas could lead to a dramatic rise in this figure, aid agencies have warned. Most displaced people are dependent on humanitarian aid, but the departure earlier this year of UN peacekeepers has severely hampered the delivery of such aid.