Angolan president demands strict management of goods for drought-hit victims

Source: Xinhua| 2019-11-07 17:27:57|Editor: Shi Yinglun
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LUANDA, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Angolan President Joao Lourenco on Wednesday recommended strict management of allocating goods acquired to aid the victims affected by drought in southern region.

The Angola's president, who was speaking at the meeting with National Commission for Civil Protection, ordered the use of the means made available exclusively to assist victims of the drought.

Lourenco cited as an example equipment such as water tank and motorcycles acquired for supplying water to victims of the drought, which he does not want to see them being used on private farms.

He also said hopes that the money and goods obtained would effectively reach the population in need.

The meeting assessed the actions undertaken by the emergency program to fight drought in the south of the country, specifically in the provinces of Cunene, Cuando Cubango, Huila and Namibe under the commission.

Angolan government has provided more than 23 billion Kwanzas(49.5 million U.S. dollars) to mitigate the effects of the drought, which has affected roughly 28,867 families.

The drought also caused the death of 10,982 head of cattle out of the overall 1.2 million affected animals wiping out 52,119 agricultural fields in affected provinces.

The report introduced by the commission also underlined the commitment of international organizations such as the World Bank, United Nations Development Fund, and the United Nations Children's Fund to provide financial resources and logistical support.

Adao Almeida, minister of Territory Administration and State Reform and spokesperson of the relief commission for victims of the drought, explained that the government has assisted affected people with medicines and buying some cattle to avoid them being sold too cheap for the damage of the breeders.

He also spoke of the creation of a program to aid children forced to drop out and abandon most affected villages by the drought to prevent them from losing the school year.