Landmines, rain block aid

2004-01-20 15:04

Luanda - Landmines and torrential rains have prevented UN aid workers from distributing supplies in Angola for the past month, officials said in a report sent to AFP on Monday.

Landmines are a constant problem in Angola, one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, but the danger is worsened during periods of heavy rain, which can uncover and shift mines onto the roads.

Major roads across the country have been closed to traffic because of the presence of landmines, holding up aid shipments from December 16 to January 12, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA).

In central Angola, the road closures have prevented supplies from the World Food Program (WFP) from reaching some 200 000 people in need, the report said.

To the south, east and northeast of the country, more than 200 000 others have been cut off from aid supplies by the closure of landmine-riddled roads.

"In Huambo (central Angola), two people died when their truck hit a landmine, on a road that was considered safe," the report said.

- SAPA