Zambia July 2006 |
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| Angola to provide plane for refugees, (Post of Zambia, 2006-07-14):-The Angolan government has said it will provide an aircraft for the voluntary repatriation of its nationals who have settled in the country as refugees. This will reduce the US$ 4.8 million budget required to complete the repatriation of refugees to Angola. Recently the UNHCR, the Zambian government and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM-Zambia) launched a US$4.8 million funding appeal for the extended Angolan refugee repatriation from Zambia.The exercise, which should have started mid last month, has since stalled due to lack of funds. In an interview, IOM-Zambia chief of mission Josiah Ogina confirmed and expressed happiness at the Angolan government’s decision to assist with transport. “The Angolan government will provide an aircraft and that will reduce the budget. It will cover over half of the budget,” Ogina said.Ogina said the Angolan government had earlier said it would provide about US$1.2 million of the required amount while the Zambia government was to provide about US$ 3.6 million.“It (Angola) will provide about US$ 1.6 million so we need to find about US$ 2 million,” he said. However, he said the Zambian partners and the Angolans would meet next Monday in Angola for a joint donor support meeting and also discuss technical details on the operations. Ogina hoped the aircraft would be able to land in Mongu were the transit centre is based.“If it can land in Mongu, then it is fine because the place cannot handle very big planes. More refugees will be taken to Mongu to be picked up from there,” he said. Ogina said if the United Nations donors that had recently pledged about US$ 500,000 honoured their promise, the exercise would start soon. Ogina attributed the failure to source funds from donors for the extended voluntary repatriation of Angolan refugees to wrong timing. Ogina observed that since the repatriation exercise was not seen as an emergency, donors were relaxed in terms of funding it. “The process is being looked at like its not urgent and an emergency hence relaxation on decision makers for funds,” he said. | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |