Following the end to the Angolan conflict in 2002, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), supported the voluntary repatriation of Angolan refugees.  From 2003 until 2005, this durable solution was implemented in partnership with the Government of Zambia, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP).  However, as of January 2006, an estimated 35,000 Angolan refugees still resided in refugee camps and settlements namely, Meheba, Mayukwayukwa and Nangweshi in the Northwestern and Western Province of Zambia. 

Due to the large number of the residual caseload, the Tripartite Commission between the Zambian and Angolan Governments and UNHCR agreed to extend voluntary repatriation operations into 2006.  Based on an intention survey, 12,000 Angolan refugees were targeted for repatriation.  A joint appeal by UNHCR and IOM for $4.8 million was made to fund the operation.  Initially, no response was received towards this joint appeal.  However, the decision by UNHCR to start the repatriation exercise with the limited resources available triggered some positive response from the American Government.  The Government of the United States committed $1.2 million, which was shared between IOM in Zambia and IOM Angola.  The Danish Embassy in Zambia also followed and committed $1.6 million bringing the total funds available to $2.8 million, with a shortfall of $2 million on the initial appeal.  All the funds received were channeled to IOM to cover the transportation of refugees. 

Click here to download the full 2006 CERF report for Zambia.

Congolese refugee children at school [Photo: UNHCR]

The repatriation exercise with one airlift started on 15 August 2006 and increased information campaigns resulted in a steady rise in the number of refugees that showed a willingness to repatriate between September and October 2006.  This situation posed further challenges to UNHCR given that the Government had decided to close Nangweshi camp at the end of 2006.  This meant that IOM had to either repatriate those willing to go back to Angola (estimated at 8,843) and relocate the remaining caseload (estimated at 6,000) to Mayukwayukwa or repatriate the whole caseload in Nangweshi of up to 15,000 in the event that they opted not to go to Mayukwayukwa.  IOM also had to repatriate a further 5,138 refugees from Meheba and 770 refugees from Mayukwayukwa.  It would not have been possible for IOM to meet the costs of all these operations with the funds that were available at the time.

UNHCR Zambia then sought funding from the CERF to ensure that the repatriation exercise did not stall in the middle of the operations with people who were willing to repatriate but could not be helped because of insufficient funds.  CERF allocated $500,000 to support both the relocation and the repatriation of the Angolan refugees from Zambia.

The objectives set out at the beginning of the repatriation exercise were to repatriate an estimated 12,000 Angolan refugees to Angola by road and air by the end of 2006 and to relocate an estimated 6,000 Angolan refugees from Nangweshi to Mayukwayukwa who will remain in Nangweshi after the camp is closed

During 2006, 8,309 Angolan refugees were repatriated from Western and North Western Provinces of Zambia.  At the same time, 4,971 refugees from Nangweshi who opted not to be repatriated, were relocated to Mayukwayukwa.  At the end of the repatriation operation, Nangweshi camp was closed.  It is assumed that a large number of people from Nangweshi camp that chose not to be repatriated or to be relocated either returned spontaneously to Angola based on reports received from Angola or headed for Namibia or areas between the Angolan and Zambian borders. 

The CERF funding, which was used to reduce the funding gap of 42 percent in the funding requirements for the repatriation and relocation of Angolan refugees, was critical in ensuring that operations did not stall midway.  The CERF funding was applied to meet the costs of:

• In-camp transportation of refugees from their sections/villages to the departure centers in Meheba, Mayukwayukwa and Nangweshi.  This included fuel and maintenance of trucks,
• Urgent repairs to departure and transit centers.  This included provision of lighting, clean up of  the surroundings, digging new pit latrines and emergency repairs of dormitories,
• Road repairs in the most critical spots to facilitate movement.  Work was done on the Kalongola - Senanga road linking the Nangweshi camp and the Kamapanda – Jimbe road on the way to Cazombo,
• Stationery for printing voluntary repatriation forms (VRFs), issuance of birth and school certificates and testimonials, special ID cards for under five children and unaccompanied minors etc.,
• Information campaigns,
• Provision of water in the departure and transit centers,
• Construction material for refugees that were relocated from Nangweshi to Mayukwayukwa, and
• Staff costs for all the staff involved in the repatriation exercise.  The included payment of salaries and daily subsistence allowances for staff escorting convoys

CERF funding was therefore essential in meeting the costs of facilitating and ensuring that the repatriation exercise went on smoothly.

[Last Update: 12 September 2007]

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