War has ravaged Angola and its people for over 40 years. As a result, humanitarian need within Angola has reached staggering proportions, whilst two whole generations of Angolans have never known what it is to live in peace.

Social development indicators identify Angola as one of the world's poorest countries. One third of the population is displaced or destitute due to war. Thirty per cent of Angola's children die before they reach their fifth birthday. Tens of thousands of children have been forced to fight in armies and commit atrocities. Many more have been denied basic rights to food, education and health.

Since 1989, World Vision Angola has responded by seeking to address the immediate and medium term needs of war-affected populations in northern Angola through multi-sectoral, developmental relief and rehabilitation programs. Yet this in itself can only have limited impact whilst the war rages on. This report was birthed out of a desire to see the root causes of this humanitarian crisis addressed. It is based on World Vision's experience and knowledge gained from working in Angola over the last 10-15 years. By identifying the "tangled web" of actors involved in the crisis, both directly and indirectly, we hope to highlight the action that needs to be taken by governments, civil society and the business community world-wide to see an end to this war and the suffering it is causing.

the ongoing war

The conflict in Angola cannot be neatly defined as one single war but rather a series of four distinguishable cycles of fighting which began in 1957 with the war for independence and has since been punctuated by periods of negotiations and fragile peace. After several years of re-arming and poor implementation of the 1994 Lusaka Peace Accords by both warring parties, the latest period of 'peace' ended in December 1998 when fighting broke out between the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) and UNITA. This war continues today.

The 1990s has been the most violent decade and the worst in terms of humanitarian suffering. The fighting this decade has targeted civilian populations through town sieges, laying of landmines, harassment of local communities, and the obstruction of aid deliveries. As a result, Angolans experience daily trauma, dispossession, powerlessness, vulnerability and abject poverty.

The latest period of fighting has further deteriorated the situation. By April 2000, a total of 2.5 million people were estimated to be internally displaced (IDPs). In November last year, the UN estimated 3.7 million to be 'war affected', defined as "those who depend on emergency humanitarian assistance due to war and the resultant loss of assets and earning opportunities". As a result, more people than in the past 4 decades of war are suffering homelessness and destitution, hunger and disease. Yet the war shows no sign of abating in the near future. Landmines continue to be laid and atrocities committed.

Delivery of humanitarian assistance has been difficult and highly dangerous due to insecurity and access being denied to many UNITA and government-controlled areas. This situation is ongoing and humanitarian agencies continue to face many obstacles: a lack of safe, regular access to field operations, a lack of consistent funding for longer-term rehabilitation and development work, difficulties in obtaining visas and getting non-food items cleared at customs.

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